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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that legitimate businesses in the waste sector are not undermined by illegal operators with a lower cost base.

Since 2014 we have given the Environment Agency an additional £60 million for waste crime enforcement work up to 2022, including £30 million in last year’s November budget. We have also given new powers to the Environment Agency to help them take stronger action more quickly against problem sites, including the ability to lock up sites and force rogue operators to clean up all waste.

We recently consulted on tightening up the waste permitting and exemptions regime to curb the rise of waste sites that cause problems for local communities, and operate outside the law. The consultation closed on 26 March and we are considering the responses. We will set out our strategic approach to waste crime, including next steps, in our Resources and Waste Strategy later this year.