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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 January (HL13504) and 21 January (HL13620), whether it is their policy that, where landowners cannot afford or are not technically able or qualified to remove waste, it will remain in place indefinitely.

The Government may step in and clear waste in exceptional circumstances to protect the public and the environment. However, as with any other type of crime the Government cannot and should not fund a general clean-up service for criminals at the expense of the taxpayer. We do however acknowledge that this approach can sometimes leave waste in situ for long periods of time.