UK Industry And Recovered Fuel Oil

EDM number 477 in 2009-10, proposed by Tom Levitt on 15/12/2009.
Categorised under the topic of Oil, petrol and natural gas.

That this House is concerned that the use of Recovered Fuel Oil (RFO) in the lime manufacturing industry is taxed 10 times higher in the UK than minimum EU levels, making it three times the price of natural gas; understands that RFO is manufactured from recycled waste oils that have undergone a process to turn them into a safe and sustainable fuel product; notes that when RFO is burnt in Waste Incineration Directive (WID) compliant plants, which are stringently controlled, it is safer for the environment and public health; further notes that the EU Energy Products Directive explicitly states that the UK is under no obligations to tax RFO use within mineralogical processes, yet does so; further notes that an exemption has been introduced for the steel industry and a tax rebate for the electricity industry which are not required to use WID compliant facilities; acknowledges that the lime manufacturing sector can play a considerable part in minimising the UK's fossil fuel dependency and encouraging low carbon growth, yet currently has no incentive to do so; considers this situation to demonstrate a distinct lack of joined up government thinking between financial and environmental policy, which is damaging the industry's competitiveness; further notes that the Government is missing an opportunity to dispose of this waste in an environmentally sound way; and therefore calls on government to reduce the tax on RFO used in WID-compliant facilities to address the lack of commercial incentive for companies to invest in greener technologies and use recycled energy in their manufacturing processes.

This motion has been signed by a total of 55 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.