Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, how many times his Department has taken enforcement action in relation to vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that have not registered with an appropriate authority in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No enforcement action has been taken against vape producers or distributors under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 in either 2023 or 2024 to date.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, what information his Department holds on the number of vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers registered with (i) the Environment Agency and (ii) a producer compliance scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) holds a public register of battery producers and approved battery (producer) compliance schemes. Only battery producers that qualify as large producers are required to join a battery compliance scheme. Large producers are those that place more than one tonne of batteries on the UK market during a year.
There are currently 25 vape producers that are also registered as battery producers, 21 of which have joined a battery producer compliance scheme.
There is no regulatory requirement for battery distributors to register with the EA or a producer compliance scheme.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013, how many times the Office for Product Safety and Standards has taken enforcement action in relation to vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that have not registered with an appropriate authority in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Distributors are not required to register under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013. There are takeback obligations on vape distributors which are enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). OPSS regulates in a proportionate, evidenced and risk-based manner, that utilises a range of regulatory interventions to promote compliance. OPSS has taken no enforcement action, such as prosecutions, on vape distributors in either 2023 or 2024. OPSS has, however, been working closely checking compliance with distributors through 2024 to build the takeback network with some 10,500 points added so far this year.
Importers and manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment are required to register with their appropriate environment regulator, with companies based in England registering with the Environment Agency. OPSS does not have an enforcement role under the WEEE regulations in respect of importers and manufacturers, whether registered or not.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of vape (a) distributors, (b) importers, (c) manufacturers and (d) producers that are registered with (i) the Environment Agency and (ii) a producer compliance scheme under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) 2013.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency maintains a public register of registered producers and approved compliance schemes under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013. There are currently 34 registered vape producers in the UK.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned an independent assessment on the need for more animal rendering plants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has no plans to commission an assessment on the need for more animal rendering plants.
The UK has around 40 rendering plants which perform an important role in protecting public and animal health. Decisions on the need for additional plants are guided by market demand and local planning policy.