Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the countries who have agreed to receive nationals who have been convicted of an offence in the UK; and what the arrangements are with each of those countries on prisoners serving the full term of the sentence handed down by the UK courts.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The removal of Foreign National Offenders with no right to stay in the UK to serve their sentences in their home countries is established Government policy. Prisoner transfers operate under binding legal multilateral or bilateral frameworks, known as Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs), which set out robust obligations for recognising and enforcing UK sentences in accordance with the terms agreed. Of the countries the UK has a PTA with (listed in PQ tabled 3 March 2026 with Unique Identifying Number 117419), the UK has utilised the respective PTA arrangements to transfer individuals to the following countries:
Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United States of America, and Vietnam.
Under a PTA, the receiving State is required to recognise the sentence imposed by the UK courts and to enforce the full sentence, in line with the terms of the agreement and with its own domestic legal framework.
Generally, the receiving State would only adapt the sentence if it is more than the maximum sentence in that State. As part of the transfer application process, partner countries provide details of their proposed release arrangements, which are assessed carefully before approval. The UK only agrees to a transfer when satisfied that the receiving State will enforce the sentence appropriately.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what clinical criteria are under consideration for determining eligibility for any nationally prescribed specialised service for severe or very severe ME.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan, published on 22 July 2025, includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
Three factors determine whether a service is a prescribed specialised service. These are: the number of individuals who require the service; the cost of providing the service or facility; and the number of people able to provide the service or facility.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many metric tonnes of processed aluminium were imported into the UK in each of last recorded five years; from which countries and in what quantities that processed aluminium was imported; and what information her Department holds on (a) how much was spent on purchasing and (b) which companies and government departments were the primary purchasers of processed aluminium in each of the last five years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.
HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria. You can build tables, using the commodity codes published in the UK Trade Tariff. Aluminium is classified in Chapter 76 of the tariff.
The website will give information on value, amounts and the countries involved. However, it will not identify imports by individual importers, whether by companies or government department. This would be in conflict with Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (CRCA). CRCA restricts the information that HMRC may disclose publicly on persons making imports and exports. HMRC do publish a database of UK traders. This provides registered business names and addresses and when they have traded in specific goods with EU and non-EU countries. You can use this to look for traders who have imported aluminium, where they have permitted HMRC to publish their details.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many metric tonnes of aluminium were exported from the UK for recycling in each of the last five years; to which countries was that aluminium exported; in what quantities was it exported; and how much income to the Exchequer was generated from the sale of that aluminium in each of the last five years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.
HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria. You can build tables, using the commodity codes published in the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. Aluminium is classified in Chapter 76 of the tariff.
The website will give information on value, amounts and the countries where the aluminium was sent. HMRC do not record the reason for export. Any applicable duties for the relevant commodity codes can also be found in the tariff.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the context of the development of the Circular Economy Growth Plan, whether her Department holds data on (a) how many metric tonnes of recycled aluminium were imported into the UK in each of the last recorded five years;(b) from which countries did the UK import that recycled aluminium; and (c) what was the financial cost of purchasing that recycled aluminium in each of the last recorded five years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.
HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria. You can build tables, using the commodity codes published in the UK Trade Tariff. Aluminium is classified in Chapter 76 of the tariff.
The website will give information on value, amounts and the countries involved, however recycled aluminium does not have a dedicated commodity code.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the context of the development of the Circular Economy Growth Plan, whether her Department holds data on (a) how many metric tonnes of waste aluminium were exported from the UK for recycling in each of the last recorded five years; (b) to which countries was that waste aluminium exported and in what quantities; (c) how much revenue was generated from the sale of that waste aluminium in each of the last recorded five years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.
HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria. You can build tables, using the commodity codes published in the UK Trade Tariff. Waste aluminium is classified in section 7602 of the tariff.
The website will give information on value, amounts and the countries where the aluminium was sent. HMRC do not record the reason for export. If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
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.