§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the costs to local authorities of implementing(a) the End of Life Vehicles Directive and (b) the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [129402]
§ Margaret Beckett(a) The EL V Directive contains no provision which applies directly to local authorities. However, under the New Burdens arrangements, DTI have transferred to local authorities £25 million for 2003–04 to meet any additional costs they may incur in relation to abandoned vehicles as a result of the directive's implementation. It is proposed to transfer similar sums in respect of financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06.
(b) The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive does not place direct responsibilities on local authorities for the collection and disposal of WEEE, but on producers and distributors. Future implementation options will take full account of the costs for all stakeholders and will be subject to full consultation.