Waste: Crime

(asked on 17th May 2023) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has she has taken to tackle waste-related crime in (a) Enfield North constituency and (b) London.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 24th May 2023

The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which is a blight on our local communities and the environment and damages legitimate businesses. We have strengthened regulators' powers, are tightening the law and have increased the Environment Agency's budget by £10 million per year to make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. We are also providing grants to councils across the country to help them purchase equipment to tackle fly-tipping. Recipients include London Borough of Newham Council and London Borough of Waltham Forest Council.

The Environment Agency is aware of recent suspected large scale illegal deposits of waste in the Enfield area. Those suspected of being involved are subject to Operation Angola and an investigation into this group is ongoing. The Environment Agency also has ongoing investigations into large scale organised illegal depositing of waste and are progressing several major cases one of which is going through the court system at this time. All reports of waste related crime are recorded on the Environment Agency National Incident Recording System and investigated in order of seriousness.

In the South London area (that also includes Kent), Environment Agency investigations to date have resulted in 20 successful prosecutions. Active on-going investigations are targeting priority offenders linked to large scale illegal disposal of waste with a current focus in Kingston, Croydon and Sutton. These investigations are being undertaken with partner organisations such as the police and local authorities.

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