§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of schemes for retail take-back of electrical waste in(a) Austria, (b) Germany, (c) the Netherlands and (d) Switzerland. [157610]
§ Ms HewittDetailed assessments for the four named countries have not been undertaken. The formal take-back schemes are relatively new and vary greatly in scope and approach to funding. Direct comparison is difficult. Switzerland (1998) and the Netherlands (1999, 2000) have both legislated for retailer take back but the Government are unaware of any formal assessments by the Swiss or Dutch Governments. Germany has developed a draft ordinance (1999) which is currently the subject of a review. Austria introduced a draft ordinance in 1994 covering only lamps and white goods. This is currently being reviewed by the Austrian authorities.