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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the UK's ability to tackle organised waste crime.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement delivers a comprehensive package of capabilities that will ensure we can work with counterparts across the EU to tackle serious crime. The Agreement ensures streamlined co-operation on law enforcement to continue to ensure we continue to effectively tackle serious organised crime, including serious crime associated with the illegitimate waste industry.

Waste crime damages the environment, is a blight on local communities and the government is committed to tackling this criminal activity. Our primary objective is to protect human health and the environment. Permits and licences will still apply and the waste industry is expected to meet the high standards of protection for people and the environment and work to sound waste management practices.

The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out an ambitious package of reforms to modernise the way waste is regulated, clamping down on illegal operators and improving performance across the sector. Some of these commitments are being taken forward in the Environment Bill, including measures to further strengthen regulator powers when dealing with criminal operators.