To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in commodity prices on waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment facilities; and if he will make a statement. (262885)

No direct assessment has been made of the effect on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment facilities of falling commodity prices. However, concerns have been expressed by a number of organisations about the difficulties in issuing evidence of collection, treatment and reprocessing of WEEE as a result in a fall in commodity prices and in particular a fall in demand for metal and plastics. To alleviate cash flow problems in the short-term, this Department has introduced interim arrangements to allow the issue of evidence for metal and plastics at the stage it has completed all the necessary treatment processes.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment for benchmarking purposes his Department has made of the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in other EU member states. (251756)

[holding answer 5 February 2009]: The UK has kept in close contact with the European Commission and other member states in the development and implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive across the EU. No formal review of all member states’ WEEE systems has been undertaken by BERR at this time.