To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions his Department has held with electronic producers and product designers of electronic goods on the implementation of individual producer responsibility under article 8.2 of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. (143988)

The Government are committed to the principles of Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) and ensuring that producers recognise the importance of design in the sustainability agenda and will continue to work with the business community on this issue.

As part of the WEEE system, the DTI will be establishing an independent WEEE Advisory Body to provide advice to Government on issues arising from the implementation of the WEEE Regulations and on how to encourage product design to assist with IPR. This will be one of the areas the DTI will ask them to address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive on product design. (143989)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive encourage producers of electrical equipment to consider design of new products to facilitate environmentally sound treatment and reprocessing when equipment reaches its end of life.

The UK has addressed this issue through Regulation 59 of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 (SI 3289).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has held with electronic producers on the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. (143990)

Regulations implementing the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic and Equipment (WEEE) Directive require producers to finance the treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006—were laid before the House on 12 December following extensive consultation with business, including a number of electronic producers.