Toxic Tories too late on hazardous waste crisis - Doughty

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 17th Sep 2004

Responding to Conservative Environment Spokesman, Ann McIntosh's comments on hazardous waste, Sue Doughty MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Minister and Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Waste Managers, said:

"Last week Michael Howard finally caught up with the global warming debate we've all been having for years. Today, I'm glad to see that Ms McIntosh is just one year behind the pace on DEFRA's hazardous waste crisis.

"The lack of capacity to deal with hazardous waste is a huge problem that the Liberal Democrats have been warning about for over a year.

"In February I tabled a Parliamentary motion highlighting the issue and calling for urgent action from the Government, which neither Ann McIntosh nor any of her Conservative colleagues supported.

"If Britain relies on the Toxic Tories to take environmental action, we could be buried under toxic waste or drowning in the rising seas before they even notice there's a problem."