Fly-tipping

Leigh Ingham Excerpts

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Westminster Hall

[Tristan Osborne]

I agree with my hon. Friend. In my local council in Medway there were seven prosecutions in 2022-23, which is extremely high and shows the success in that area, but she is right that it is not the same across the country. Environmental waste carrier licences need to be scrutinised, and where we see illegal activity on a commercial level, the Environment Agency and others need support to engage.

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

This issue was brought into sharp focus in my constituency following a high-profile case. A large pile of debris, comprising furniture, rubble and wooden panels, was disgracefully left in place for over a year. Local residents reported the issue. It attracted vermin and posed health risks to nearby children in the schools. I am concerned that fly-tipping statistics, which are already alarming, do not reflect the severity of fly-tipping on private land, which can fall through the cracks despite the best efforts of local authorities. I raised the issue previously and was told that the Minister had concerns that the carrier, broker and dealer regime that the last Government put in place was not fit for purpose. I was glad to hear that the Government are actively thinking of measures to tighten up controls, so I join my hon. Friend in thanking the Government for the action they are taking in this space.

[Tristan Osborne]

I thank my hon. Friend for that contribution. An element that is not mentioned is untidy land in private space, an issue that is very difficult for councils to enforce. Again, that is a non-statutory service. Some councils deal with untidy land in gardens and other private spaces, but many councils do not because of local Government cuts and reductions in funding over the last 14 years.

The statistical basis for fly-tipping is complicated. Different Governments over the last 14 years have measured it in different ways. Between 2010 and 2017 we saw a significant increase, according to BBC statistics, of around 40% in fly-tipping across the country, and that has remained static in recent years. The ways of calculating these things vary, so one question I have for the Minister is whether we should have a standardised, data-driven approach to recording fly-tipping incidences.