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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning further licenses for coastal landfill sites.

The Secretary of State does not currently have plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of banning further licences for coastal landfill sites.

The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations provide an integrated framework for the regulation of activities that could harm the environment or human health. The Environment Agency issues permits only if pollution risks are acceptable and requires coastal landfill operators to prevent waste release, considering future climate risks. Local planning authorities have responsibility for providing planning consent for facilities such as landfill sites and decide upon future landfill locations.