§ Dr. WhiteheadTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements she is making to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the provisions of the Landfill Directive relating to the disposal of tyres. [159020]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Landfill Directive requires the introduction of a ban on the disposal of most whole used tyres to landfill from July 2003, and this has been achieved by The Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002. Regulations have also been introduced covering Scotland and Northern Ireland, Shredded tyres are also due to be banned from disposal to landfill, and this ban will take full effect from July 2006.
§ Dr. WhiteheadTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of end-of-life tyres were disposed of in ways that met the terms of the EU Landfill Directive in 2003. [159021]
§ Mr. TimmsThe data to compile used tyre statistics for 2003 are currently being collected. Provisional figures suggest that value was recovered from around 80 per cent., based on 450,000 tonnes of used tyre arisings. This recovery rate is significantly higher than in previous years.
§ Dr. WhiteheadTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements she is making to ensure that all UK end-of-life tyres will be shredded prior to 2006. [159022]
§ Mr. TimmsThe infrastructure to reprocess used tyres continues to grow, as evidenced by provisional statistics for 2003 showing a recover rate of around 80 per cent. used tyre arisings. It follows that tyres are being increasingly diverted from landfill disposal, which figures suggest is running at around a quarter of 2001 1283W levels. Companies have already installed significant shredding capacity, both as a pre-treatment stage prior to recovery or as a means of reducing transport costs. The requirement to shred tyres, prior to landfill disposal until July 2006, should not therefore present undue difficulty for the industry.