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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that car tyres which are exported to be recycled (a) arrive at the intended destination, (b) are not used in illegal pyrolysis and (c) are processed in manner which does not harm the environment.

The Environment Agency (EA) has recently completed a review into its approach for regulating the export of waste tyres. As a result of this, the EA will launch enhanced verification checks for all waste tyres exported to India to ensure they are handled in an environmentally sound manner.

The export of waste tyres is subject to strict controls set out in existing UK legislation. Businesses involved in the export of waste from the UK are required to take all necessary steps to ensure that the waste they export is managed in an environmentally sound manner. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine.