Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to a) introduce requirements in Great Britain equivalent to EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries; b) what the indicative timeline is for any such introduction; c) and what consultation process she plans to undertake with industry before any proposed implementation date is confirmed.

Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn and will use this consultation to assess transitional needs, including a reasonable minimum sell-through period for manufacturers and retailers.