Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of recycling precious metals found in (a) smartphones, (b) laptops and (c) other devices on the economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made the assessment requested. However, the industry group Material Focus, a not-for-profit organisation funded through industry compliance fee monies raised under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations has undertaken two related studies. Contributing towards a circular economy utilising Critical Raw Materials from waste electricals and Copper Crunch Report – Future challenges of copper consumption.
The Secretary of State has convened a Small Ministerial Group on Circular Economy and asked his Department to work with experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed in the electricals sector as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report on women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, if she will publish the related departmental submissions to the Ombudsman.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
We will not publish the Departmental submissions to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman’s investigations are conducted in private as set out in section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report on women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, if she will publish related (a) impact assessments and (b) financial modelling for a compensation scheme.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
We will consider what to publish when we announce our decision on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report.