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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19918 on Waste: Codes of Practice, what representations he has received, on outsourced private enforcement firms issuing fines in breach of non-statutory enforcement guidance.

Current littering enforcement guidance for local authorities is clear that where external contractors are used, private firms should not be able to receive greater revenue or profits just from increasing the volume of penalties and that local authorities remain responsible for the whole enforcement process, whether they contract out part of it or not.

The previous administration consulted on whether to place this guidance on a statutory footing. 35 responses were received, some of which discussed the use of private enforcement firms.