Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote collaboration between UK academic institutions and universities or research centres in the Baltic states on issues of regional security and geopolitical risk.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government supports extensive relationships between UK academic institutions and partners in the Baltic states on regional security and geopolitical risk. Our Embassies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania maintain broad networks across universities, think‑tanks and specialist centres, to support UK analysis, deepen understanding of regional developments, and create opportunities for UK academics to collaborate with Baltic partners. This includes collaboration with the Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics, the Baltic Defence College in Estonia and NATO Centres of Excellence in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Posts also work with local research organisations on governance and resilience. The Government will continue to support and broaden these networks in line with shared UK-Baltic security interests.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made (1) the potential cost savings, and (2) the fire reduction benefits, of mandatory nationwide kerbside collection of waste batteries and small electrical items.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential cost savings and fire reduction benefits of mandatory nationwide kerbside collection of waste batteries and small electrical items.

Defra has however worked closely with industry and Material Focus on Material Focus’ UK electricals and portable batteries collections review (see attached), which was published in January. Material Focus is funded by the compliance fee that operates under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 and is paid by electrical producers if they do not meet annual recycling targets set by the government. This review indicated that although kerbside collections impacted the amount of recycling collected, the picture is complex and various other important factors may influence the 'best collection method' for each local authority.

Fires in waste are a significant concern, and we are closely engaged with industry, including waste disposal operators, on the issue. The Government has already taken action to ban disposable vapes - one of the main ways in which lithium-ion batteries end up in general waste. We are currently considering options for reform of the batteries regulations in the UK and are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on those options.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of local authorities in England offer kerbside collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment; and what steps they are taking to increase kerbside collection of that equipment.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In January this year, Material Focus published research reviewing the effectiveness of public collections of small mixed WEEE and portable batteries in the UK, including kerbside collections. Material Focus is funded by the compliance fee that operates under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013, which is paid by electrical producers if they don’t meet the annual recycling targets set by the Government. Figure 4 of Appendix A in the review (copy attached) includes a map of the 95 local authorities that provided small electrical kerbside collections in 2023. The findings indicated that although kerbside collections impacted the amount of recycling collected, the picture is complex and the 'best collection method' for each local authority may be influenced by various other important factors.

Defra recognises the importance of continued innovation in collection and treatment of waste electricals and electronics. As we develop the Circular Economy Growth Plan, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. The Circular Economy Growth Plan is due to be published in early 2026.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of battery-related fires on the safety of works in waste and recycling facilities.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has not carried out a formal assessment of any increase in battery-related fires in waste and recycling infrastructure between 2021 and 2024, or the impact of such fires on the safety of works in waste and recycling facilities. Fires in waste are a significant concern, and we remain engaged with industry, including waste disposal operators, on the issue.

The Government has already taken action to ban disposable vapes - one of the main ways in which lithium-ion batteries end up in general waste. We are also considering options for reform of the batteries regulations in the UK and are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on those options.

The Health and Safety Executive sits on the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) which has commissioned several pieces of research, in particular on ‘Reducing fire risk at waste management sites’ WASTE-28.pdf (see attached). WISH and the Environmental Services Association are also funding a PhD project to investigate improved methods to detect ‘hot spots’ where there is a build-up of heat deep within the waste, before a fire breaks out.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in battery-related fires in waste and recycling infrastructure between 2021 and 2024.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has not carried out a formal assessment of any increase in battery-related fires in waste and recycling infrastructure between 2021 and 2024, or the impact of such fires on the safety of works in waste and recycling facilities. Fires in waste are a significant concern, and we remain engaged with industry, including waste disposal operators, on the issue.

The Government has already taken action to ban disposable vapes - one of the main ways in which lithium-ion batteries end up in general waste. We are also considering options for reform of the batteries regulations in the UK and are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on those options.

The Health and Safety Executive sits on the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) which has commissioned several pieces of research, in particular on ‘Reducing fire risk at waste management sites’ WASTE-28.pdf (see attached). WISH and the Environmental Services Association are also funding a PhD project to investigate improved methods to detect ‘hot spots’ where there is a build-up of heat deep within the waste, before a fire breaks out.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the annual cost to the economy of battery-related fires, and (2) how those costs are distributed between (a) local authorities, (b) emergency services, and (c) the waste and recycling sector.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services, with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK. This does not yet include data on the cost of battery-related fire incidents.

We will keep the contents of these publications under review, as part of the development of our recently rolled out Fire and Rescue Analysis Platform (FaRDaP).

Research into the economic and social cost of fire has previously been conducted, calculating the total annual economic and social cost of fires in England, which is available here: Economic and social cost of fire - GOV.UK. This analysis breaks down said costs by anticipation, consequence, and response, but does not specifically refer to the cost of battery-related fires.