I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

There is no specific Government estimate for the size of the recycled plastics industry. The British Plastics Federation Recycling Group (BPFRG) estimated in 2011 that approximately 5,000 people are employed directly by reprocessors and exporters of plastic recovered in the UK. The BPFRG also estimates that around 24% of the 5 million tonnes of plastic used each year in the UK is currently recovered or recycled.

According to the Environment Agency, there were 92 businesses in the UK accredited to recycle and export recovered packaging plastics in 2013, of which 44 were UK reprocessors (National Packaging Waste Database report data accessed 30 April 2014).

According to the Office for National Statistics Annual Business Survey there were 133,000 jobs in the manufacture of plastics products in 2012.

Banknotes are the responsibility of the Bank of England. Polymer banknotes are cleaner, more secure against counterfeiting, more environmentally friendly and more durable than their paper equivalents.

The Bank has held discussions with a number of key stakeholders in the cash industry. Feedback suggested the impact of switching to a polymer substrate would result in implementation costs but there were no absolute barriers to change.

Lessons learned from polymer switchovers in other countries will help the Bank to substantially reduce the implementation costs to industry, therefore long-term cost savings will be realised a lot sooner.

The day-to-day arrangements for printing, issue and circulation of banknotes are the responsibility of the Bank of England.

As stated in the Bank's recent news release, they have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in the cash industry, including the vending industry.

The Bank will continue its dialogue with the industry including hosting an Industry Forum in February 2014. Stakeholders from the vending industry will be invited to this event.

Specific information on the volumes of farm waste plastics that have been exported from England is not measured, therefore we do not hold these figures.

The Environment Agency has not carried out any prosecutions for illegal export of farm waste plastics.

Neither DEFRA nor the Environment Agency has made any such estimate. The very nature of illegal waste exports means that those involved in this activity seek to avoid detection, and this makes it difficult to provide an accurate assessment of the volume illegally exported from the UK.

DEFRA is supporting work by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to boost recycling of these materials.

The front of store recycling work being undertaken by WRAP has led to a significant increase in the number of stores collecting plastic film. This packaging can currently be returned for recycling at a number of major supermarket outlets, and indications are that this will be rolled out more widely.

WRAP is also working closely with representatives from across the plastics supply chain to promote the recycling of film and will provide guidance for local authorities that wish to improve their film collections shortly. The British Plastics Federation Recycling Group is also looking at promoting film recycling.

Conventional black plastics packaging cannot be sorted by plastics recyclers due to the nature of the carbon pigment. WRAP has undertaken trials using other pigment which looks black to the eye, but can be used by plastic sorters and re-processors, and is acceptable by brands and retailers. WRAP is also due to publish work which has been examining the end market opportunities that could be available for this material. Once this is published, WRAP will be working with the plastics packaging supply chain to get this initiative adopted.

The plastics recycling targets are part of a producer responsibility regime and it is a matter for industry to meet them.

Representatives from across the plastics supply chain, facilitated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, are developing a Plastics Industry Action Plan to ensure the necessary actions are taken forward to deliver the plastic packaging recycling targets by 2017.

DEFRA is planning to introduce new regulations before the end of the year which will require material recovery facilities to measure the quality of the input and output of the materials including plastics. This will help improve the way the recyclate market operates by increasing transparency.

DEFRA and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are currently undertaking a review of the producer responsibility regimes to improve the coherence between the different regulations, and to reduce burdens on businesses which have to deal with more than one regime.

A consultation on amendments to the packaging regulations, which will take forward the ‘coherence issues’ and other specific packaging-related issues, is planned for this autumn. As part of the process, we will be considering whether improvements might usefully be made to the packaging recovery note/packaging export recovery note system.

Representatives from across the plastics supply chain, facilitated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, are developing a Plastics Industry Action plan to ensure the necessary actions are taken forward to deliver the plastic recycling target by 2017.

One element of the action plan is a communications initiative to increase public awareness of the importance of plastics recycling.

DEFRA has not made an assessment of the effect of the export of plastic recyclate on the domestic market and wider UK economy.

There is a legitimate global trade in waste, which can be good for the environment and business. Movements of waste to and from the UK are subject to the requirements of the waste shipments regulation. This allows the export of recyclate as long as it is not contaminated to the extent that it could not be managed in an environmentally sound manner in the destination country.

Records of fires attended by fire and rescue authorities do not distinguish different types of recycling facilities.

The total numbers of fires attended at recycling plants in England since the introduction of the new fire and rescue incident recording system are as follows:

Fire fighters did an excellent job getting the Smethwick blaze under control and the cause will be thoroughly investigated by West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority.

All fires, no matter the size, can cause loss of life, but in the last decade there has been a 40% reduction in incidents as a whole.

In November 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government announced successful bidders to its £250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme. Funding is being allocated between 2012 and 2015. This scheme encourages weekly collections of residual waste and improvements to recycling services.

Local authorities could apply for funding to enhance recycling services for plastics or other materials. Successful bids included those from:

Cornwall council which is using its funding to introduce (i) a new kerbside collection of mixed plastics and (ii) the collection of

bulky plastics such as pipework and garden furniture from its household waste recycling centres;

Dudley metropolitan borough council which is using its funding to introduce a borough-wide kerbside recycling service for plastic bottles; and

East Cambridgeshire district council which is using its funding to expand the range of household materials collected to include mixed plastics.

The Weekly Collection Support Scheme is also funding 40 local authorities to introduce or expand recycling reward schemes which give incentives for residents to recycle their waste. Many of these schemes will encourage wider collection of recyclable plastics from households.

The Department for Communities and Local Government will be working with local authorities, the waste industry and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to take forward the innovation being championed by the Weekly Collection Support Scheme where plastic recycling from households and other service improvements are concerned.

National planning policy for waste management from the Department for Communities and Local Government sets the framework for local authorities to decide through their local plans on the most appropriate strategy for managing waste in their area; and to ensure that there are sufficient waste management facilities of the right type, in the right place and at the right time to meet their waste needs. The policy approach drives waste management up the waste hierarchy so that more waste, through recycling, is used as a resource, rather than waste going to landfill.

In November 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government also announced successful bidders to its £250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme. Funding is being allocated between 2012 and 2015. This scheme encourages weekly collections of residual waste and improvements to recycling services.

The scheme offered support for local authorities that needed to bridge the gap in terms of up front investment for new recycling infrastructure. Local authorities could therefore apply for funding to develop infrastructure for recycling plastics. Successful bids included those from:

Bournemouth borough council which is using its funding to build and operate a strategic local waste management facility that will process the range of co-mingled recyclable materials (including plastics) collected by all partnering authorities;

The London borough of Hillingdon which is using its funding to build a bulking facility which will allow the range of dry recyclables collected each week to be increased further. Feedback from residents groups has indicated they wish to recycle more plastic;

Leicester city council which is using its funding to develop additional Household Waste Recycling Centre provision. This will offer residents the opportunity to recycle a wider range of materials (including plastics) as well as providing reuse facilities and opportunities for trade waste.

DEFRA does not provide such guidance to companies but supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). WRAP'S 'Halving Waste to Landfill' commitment has helped to encourage waste prevention and recycling in the construction industry. WRAP is also developing a Plastics Action Plan with industry to promote increased recycling through a range of initiatives.

Based on data returns submitted by plastics reprocessors to the Environment Agency under the Packaging Directive requirements, the following tonnages of waste plastic packaging were received for reprocessing in the UK or were exported for recycling:

The figures provided are for plastic packaging waste only. This is the best data set we have on plastics waste for recycling.