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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency is investigating a large-scale illegal waste crime site in Wigan, as reported by Sky News on 28 October; whether it was on the list of six sites provided to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee; and, if not, why not.

The Environment Agency (EA) is undertaking operations in response to an illegal waste site located at Bolton House Road, Wigan. These operations consist of two key components. The first is a complex criminal investigation involving multiple lines of enquiry. The second is a coordinated multi-agency effort, working alongside Wigan Council, Greater Manchester Police, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, to assist in the development of a plan for the removal of the waste—subject to the identification of funding. The EA remains committed to collaborating with partners to safeguard the environment and protect the wellbeing and livelihoods of residents and workers affected by the site. Due to its smaller size and lower volume of waste compared to the site at Hoads Wood, the Bolton House Road site did not meet the criteria for inclusion on the list sent to the Committee.