§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his Department's policy is on the land filling of scrap tyres; and if this activity will be prohibited from 2003 in line with the EC Landfill Directive. [144931]
§ Mr. MullinThe Landfill Directive requires landfill sites opened after 16 July 2001 to cease accepting whole used tyres from 16 July 2003 and shredded tyres from 16 July 2006. For existing landfill sites the requirement is that they cease to accept whole used tyres and shredded tyres "as soon as possible" in accordance with the site conditioning plan agreed with the Environment Agency and, in all cases, no later than 15 July 2009. The Government intend to transpose these requirements into domestic legislation later this year.