Illegal Waste: Organised Crime

Jessica Morden Excerpts

Monday 17th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Emma Hardy]

I point out to the hon. Gentleman that this Government increased funding for waste enforcement by the Environment Agency by 50%, after that funding had been frozen for years under the previous Government. Not only are we increasing the funding to the Environment Agency, but we are going much further. We are reforming the carrier, broker and dealer regime by moving waste management and transport from being subject to a light-touch system to coming under the environmental permitting regulations. We are reforming the rules for waste permit exemptions. We are using digital waste tracking, so we can see where the waste ends up. We are looking at extended producer responsibility for packaging, to reduce the amount of pollution and what needs to go into the waste system, and at reforms to ensure simpler recycling. My hon. Friend the nature Minister has, ever since being appointed, been working hard to deal with the legacy that she inherited of problems in the waste environment.

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

Newport council is prioritising tackling waste crime and fly-tipping, and we have seen a drop in incidents this year, as more fixed penalty notices are handed out. As others have said, much of the waste is dumped by rogue traders posing as legitimate businesses, often using false number plates. Can the Minister remind the House of some of the tools that the police and local authorities already have, and what more can the Welsh and UK Governments do, working together, to help Newport council?

[Emma Hardy]

I congratulate my hon. Friend and her council on the work that they are doing to deal with illegal waste. On fly-tipping, there are all the measures that I mentioned in my response to the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Dr Hudson), and we have also made an announcement about crushing vehicles. We are carrying out a review of council powers to seize and crush the vehicles of fly-tippers. We want councils to work with the police and use the latest technology, such as drones, to help catch fly-tippers, and to crush more vehicles. I will provide guidance about what more we can do in the new year.