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Vision Boards

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vision boards have constitutions. [10158]

Alun Michael: The local vision boards established so far do not have a formal status, they are informal partnerships. They are expected to establish clear objectives, roles and responsibilities and simple governance and operational arrangements. This is a similar model to that which has successfully served many SRB and other informal partnerships over the years.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition of electrical waste he uses in relation to implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [11755]

 
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Malcolm Wicks: The Government expect to implement the definition of WEEE used in the Directive;

'WEEE' means electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) which is waste within the meaning of Article 1(a) of Directive 75/442/EEC, including all components, subassemblies and consumables which are part of the product at the time of discarding".

The Directive states that

'EEE' means equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement of such currents and fields falling under the categories set out in Annex 1A (of the Directive) and designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000 Volt for alternating current and 1,500 Volt for direct current".

The scope of EEE covered by the Regulations implementing the WEEE Directive will be as set out in Annex 1B of the Directive.

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether batteries and battery-operated goods are within the remit of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [11756]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government do not consider that batteries are included in the scope of the WEEE Directive. However, a wide range of battery operated electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is within the scope of the Directive. The Directive provides that where assemblies, such as batteries, are fixed inside EEE when it is discarded, they will be deemed to be part of the equipment.

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether retailers will be required to (a) maintain a register of all electronic and electrical items returned to their store and (b) insist on the consumer producing the old good before selling a new electrical or electronic product under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; [11757]

(2) at what quantity retailers most dispose of their store of returned goods under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and whether this will involve the retailer (a) paying for the goods to be collected by a registered disposal firm and (b) depositing the goods at a registered collection point; [11759]

(3) what estimate he has made of the costs to retailers of complying with the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; [11760]

(4) whether his Department has carried out a small business regulatory impact assessment on the proposals for Environment Agency fees relating to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; [11761]

(5) what discussions the Department has had with companies retailing electrical and electronic equipment on reducing waste arising from such equipment. [11762]

Malcolm Wicks: The WEEE Directive requires that retailers provide free take-back of WEEE they collect in-store. The Government are developing its implementation planning for the Directive in order to offer retailers several options for how they can take back the household WEEE they collect.

The Government obtained flexibility for UK retailers to discharge their obligations under the WEEE Directive. Retailers will have a choice to comply either
 
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by (i) offering take-back services in-store to consumers; or (ii) by showing membership of an approved compliance scheme which will support an alternative national network of facilities for separate collection of household WEEE. This flexibility enables retailers to provide alternatives to the in-store take back provision set out in the Directive. In addition, the Government announced in March this year that it would delay implementation of the Directive to January 2006. The course the Government have taken will provide cost savings to retailers compared to the estimates from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) of £200-£500 million per annum for in-store take back. Ultimately the costs to retailers will depend on the retailer's choice of compliance and the volume of WEEE returned to them. The Government are proposing to implement the WEEE Directive with as little disruption as possible to current retailer practices, while achieving the environmental aims of the Directive.

The Government have had extensive discussions with many retailers on implementation of the Directive. It has encouraged the BRC to develop proposals for a retail compliance scheme to provide a national collection network, including funding upgrades to civic amenity sites' facilities for separate collection of WEEE. The BRC has proposed a fund for a retail compliance scheme of some £8.2 million over the three years to 2008 to upgrade all civic amenity sites in the UK, including funds to maintain the infrastructure over the same period.

Where retailers choose to comply with their obligation by offering in-store take back services, they will be expected to do this on a one-to-one" basis, as the Directive requires. This means when selling new equipment they will have to take back equipment of a similar type or fulfilling an equivalent function as the new equipment being supplied.

It is not expected that there will be a requirement on retailers to register all items of WEEE collected in this way; or that retailers would have to store WEEE only up to a certain, stipulated quantity.

Retailers choosing to provide in-store take-back services would be expected to store WEEE they collect according to the requirements of the Directive to optimise its potential re-use or recycling and recovery. This should include providing for any necessary storage on hard standing and weather-proofing, as required by the Directive.

The Government published a Regulatory Impact Assessment with its consultation paper of 24 May 2005 on proposed Environment Agency fees related to the WEEE Directive. This is available at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/WEEE_fees_RIA.pdf

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, retailers will be required to store goods returned to them on site. [11758]

Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 12 July 2005]: The WEEE Directive requires that retailers provide free take-back of WEEE they collect in-store. The Government are developing its implementation planning for the Directive in order to offer retailers several options for how they can take back the household WEEE they collect.
 
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The Government obtained flexibility for UK retailers to discharge their obligations under the WEEE Directive. Retailers will have a choice to comply either by (i) offering take-back services in-store to consumers; or (ii) by showing membership of an approved compliance scheme which will support an alternative national network of facilities for separate collection of household WEEE. This flexibility enables retailers to provide alternatives to the in-store take back provision set out in the Directive. In addition, the Government announced in March this year that it would delay implementation of the Directive to January 2006. The course the Government have taken will provide cost savings to retailers compared to the estimates from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) of £200-£500 million per annum for in-store take back. Ultimately the costs to retailers will depend on the retailer's choice of compliance and the volume of WEEE returned to them. The Government are proposing to implement the WEEE Directive with as little disruption as possible to current retailer practises, while achieving the environmental aims of the Directive.

Wind Farm (Redcar)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) who will make the final decision on the proposed development of an offshore wind farm at Redcar; what criteria will be used to make the decision; and what procedures will be followed; [11901]

(2) what account will be taken of objections registered to the proposed offshore wind farm at Redcar in the process of a decision being reached on whether to permit the proposed development; [11910]

(3) what opportunities the objectors to the proposed wind farm at Redcar will have to make representations to the authority responsible for deciding whether to proceed with the project prior to the decision being taken; [11911]

(4) whether the proposal to build an offshore wind farm at Redcar will be subject to a (a) public inquiry and (b) other public hearing. [11912]

Malcolm Wicks: The wind farm off Redcar will require a suite of statutory consents before it can be built, principally under the Electricity Act 1989, the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the Coast Protection Act 1949. My right hon. Friend theSecretary of State for Trade and Industry will take decisions in respect of the consent application made under the Electricity Act: my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will take the decisions about consent applications made under the Food and Environment Protection Act and the Coast Protection Act.

Both my right hon. Friend the Secretaries of State will consider carefully all the representations that have been submitted in respect of the application and they will also take into account national policy considerations, including the target to generate 10 per cent. of electricity by renewable sources in 2010.
 
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No decisions have yet been taken in respect of the determination of the consent applications. The options under the Electricity Act will be to accept the application, to reject it or to call a public inquiry to consider the issues further.

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