Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her response to Question UIN 106503 on 22nd January 2026, whether the regulations to remove the T8 exemption for the treatment of waste tyres have now been drafted and if she will provide an update on her timetable for laying those regulations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Work continues on the drafting of the legislation which covers the whole package of waste exemption reforms, including the removal of the T8 exemption, and the timing remains subject to Parliamentary time. When the Regulations come into force the published transition periods will begin. For the T8 exemption this is 3 months.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her response of 12th February 2026 to question UIN 113530, how many of the 16 receiving sites that had failed to provide post-shipment Annex VII information have subsequently provided information on some consignments.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is working through a significant submission of data from exporters and will be able to confirm the position by 2 April 2026. Thus far, the EA is not aware of any additional information relating to any of the 16 sites.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Annex VII documents relating to consignments of end-of-life tyres were submitted to the Environment Agency’s enhanced verification procedure between 2nd February 2026 and 2nd March 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Between 2 February 2026 and 2 March 2026 the Environment Agency received 1301 Annex VII pre-shipment submissions relating to the export of waste tyres/rubber to India.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
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 her response of 25 February 2026 to question UIN 113530, what assessment she has made of the reasons that issues with Indian Customs and transport have disproportionately affected 16 of the 50 approved sites for receiving end-of-life tyres.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is thoroughly reviewing why there is post-shipment information outstanding beyond the eight-week deadline from 16 of the 50 approved sites.
Their assessment of information from overseas partners, operators and the World Customs Organization suggest that, while an eight‑week timeframe is sometimes achievable, it does not reflect current global logistics timelines.
The EA’s is satisfied that extending the deadline from eight to sixteen weeks is reasonable based on the available data. This is because it continues to strengthen traceability and compliance, and provides better protection for legitimate operators, without undermining its work to ensure that waste tyres are managed appropriately.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111664, how many individual receiving sites have failed to supply the required post-shipment Annex VII information.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 50 approved receiving sites, the Environment Agency (EA) has post shipment information outstanding beyond the eight-week deadline from 16 sites.
Exporters have informed the EA that shipments are not arriving at the intended destination within eight weeks' notice period which is why the post-shipment information is delayed. Delays at Indian Customs, container handling sites and onwards transport have been cited as reasons. The EA is now considering extending this time period to ensure it is achievable.
It is the responsibility of the exporter rather than the receiving site to provide the required information to the Environment Agency.
The EA has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
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 Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111664, how many exporters or brokers who have failed to provide the required post-shipment Annex VII information have been suspended from making further shipments or issued with stop notices to prevent the risk of further non-compliant exports.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to suspend or issue a prohibition (stop) notice on any exporters or brokers who have failed to provide post shipment information.
It has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information and is closely monitoring the returns.
The EA is assessing the feasibility of responding within 8-weeks as evidence from exporters is highlighting delays beyond their control.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
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 Answer of 12 February to Question 111664, how many individual receiving sites that have failed to supply the post-shipment Annex VII information required have been suspended from receiving future consignments.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to remove sites from its acknowledged list to prevent them from receiving future consignments. At this point there is no evidence to show that any receiving sites are deliberately not supplying the information needed to exporter which would be grounds for their removal.
The Waste Shipment Regulations put legal duties on the exporter. The EA will therefore focus its regulatory efforts on the exporter rather than the receiving site.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
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 Answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 109797, how many of the 3, 442 documents for which an Annex VII was submitted between 28 October 2025 and 2 February 2026 (a) have now passed the eight week deadline and (b) of that number, how many have not supplied sufficient geo-tagged photographic information proving arrival at their intended destination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 3442 annex VII documents referenced (now revised to 3281 following further data assurance) 1,891 have reached the eight-week deadline. Annex VII forms submitted after the 15 December 2025 are not yet due.
Of these 1891, 1,370 have not been returned with the post-shipment information required, including geotagged photographs.
521 Annex VII forms were returned. 458 met the requirements, including geotagged photos, 63 did not. The Environment Agency (EA) is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
The EA is continuing to assure the data that is received so there may be further amendments in the final figures.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her answer to Question 106499 of 22 January 2026, how many of the 1,891 consignments for which an Annex VII was submitted (a) have passed the eight-week deadline and (b) are now overdue on their completion of proof of destination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 1,891 pre-shipment Annex VII forms referenced, 1,370 were not returned with the arrival information within the eight-week deadline.
Exporters have reported delays arising from customs processes, onward collection from ports and transport issues following arrival in India. The Environment Agency is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on which countries critical mineral waste and scrap are exported under licence for recycling.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not maintain a list of businesses that export waste from the UK. Any exporter that is not the original waste producer must be registered as a waste broker or dealer. Details of registered brokers and dealers in England can be found on the public register, available at: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers
Information on the destination of waste exported from the UK is publicly available here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/