Crime: Metal Theft Task Force

Lord Wills Excerpts

Thursday 23rd January 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I have given the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, the assurance that we will consider it, and I think I can go no further than that.

[Lord Wills (Lab)]

My Lords, everyone will welcome the recent decline in this dangerous theft, which does such damage to local businesses and communities. The Minister will be aware that this crime is driven primarily by world commodity prices and all experience shows that thieves respond very quickly to changes in those commodity prices. Given the recent decline in world commodity prices, can the Minister give any assessment of how far this recent decline is due to that and how far it is due to the work of the metal theft task force?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I cannot really comment on the noble Lord’s analysis of market conditions in the capitalist market that may underline this matter. The truth is that we were all aware that a lot of illegitimate traffic was going on throughout the supply line of this industry. The British Metals Recycling Association wanted to be a party to making this a proper legitimate framework for a proper industry. We have that framework now and I am sure that noble Lords will support all that is being done to ensure that that is what happens.