Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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) Stockport constituency and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 Manchester City Council.
From January 2022 to date, 7% of incidents reported to the Environment Agency for the region that covers Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, were recorded as illegal waste sites and 0.1% related to the Stockport area. The majority of the reports for Stockport were closed, as unsubstantiated or with the Environment Agency providing advice and guidance detailing the relevant legislation, their obligations, how to return to compliance and the consequences of not doing so.
Within Greater Manchester, there are six cases subject to legal proceedings and nine active investigations into illegal waste crime. Between April 2022 to March 2023 the Environment Agency closed 15 illegal waste sites across Greater Manchester, 7 of which were high risk.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 taken to tackle waste crime in (a) Leicestershire, (b) Staffordshire and (c) Warwickshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
In Leicestershire, the Environment Agency has recently stopped three illegal waste sites, two in relation to burning and one in relation to the storage of liquids. All sites were visited by Environment Agency staff and provided with advice and guidance detailing the relevant legislation, their obligations, how to return to compliance and the consequences of not doing so. The Environment Agency also has ongoing investigations into organised crime groups and are progressing a major case through the court system which had operations within Leicestershire.
In Warwickshire, the Environment Agency currently has two active investigations in targeting priority offenders. In Staffordshire there two ongoing investigations relating to suspected serious environmental offending. These investigations are being undertaken with partner organisations such as the Police, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other public bodies. Between April 2022 to March 2023 the Environment Agency closed 10 high risk illegal waste sites across Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
Additionally, the Environment Agency is a member of the newly formed Staffordshire Organised Crime Group. The group aims to target and stop organised crime in the area, working with partner organisations including the police, HMRC, HM Prison and Probation Service, local authorities and immigration services.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for reviewing the penalties for those found guilty of an offence under (1) the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and (2) other related legislation, including regulations 12, 38(1)(a) and 41(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and sections 33(1)(c), 33(6) and 157(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have advised prosecution is one of a range of enforcement options available to environmental and health and safety regulators, including withdrawing approvals, serving enforcement and fixed penalty notices, varying licenses conditions and providing written advice.
The law currently allows for an unlimited fine and imprisonment for those convicted of offences under health and safety regulations, fly-tipping and breaches of environmental permitting. No specific assessment has been made regarding whether a revision to these penalties is necessary, although the Regulators Code requires that all regulators keep their activities under review.
Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts who must follow the relevant guidelines issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The guidelines implement the requirements of Section 125 of the Sentencing Act, which requires that any fine imposed should reflect the seriousness of the offence and take into account the financial circumstances of the dutyholder. The level of fine should reflect the extent to which the offender fell below the required standard, and should meet the objectives of punishment, deterrence and the removal of gain derived through the commission of the offence, in a fair and proportionate way. The fine must be sufficiently substantial to have an economic impact that brings home, to both management and shareholders, the need to comply with health and safety legislation.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he monitors the performance of National Highways in the North West on keeping strategic highways land free from litter or tipping.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator, in line with the Code of practice on litter and refuse published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). National Highways is committed to reporting against this performance indicator and the Department, alongside the independent Highways Monitor (Office for Rail and Road), regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved. Performance is monitored at a national level across the whole of the Strategic Road Network rather than a focus on any specific region.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to carry out his statutory responsibilities under the Environment Protection Act 1989 to keep strategic highway land clear of litter and tipping.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator. National Highways is committed to reporting the percentage of the Strategic Road Network on which National Highways hold litter clearance responsibility, that had no litter, refuse or detritus, or was predominately free of litter, refuse or detritus apart from some small items in line with the Code of practice on litter and refuse published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Department, alongside the independent Highways Monitor (Office for Rail and Road) regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved.
We are developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) and continue to explore potential metrics for inclusion in RIS3 performance specification, as well as possible improvements to existing metrics such as litter. We are working to ensure that the targeted metrics in RIS3 – the Key Performance Indicators focus on the things that are most important to road users and contribute to wider government priorities. This process will involve considering the responses to the forthcoming public consultation on National Highways’ Strategic Road Network Initial Report.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding her Department has allocated to projects to help prevent fly-tipping in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2022, we provided 11 local authorities with total grant funding of almost £450,000 to purchase equipment to tackle fly-tipping. In 2023, we followed this up with total grant funding of £775,000 to support 21 local authorities to tackle fly-tipping.
These grant funds will help councils to purchase equipment to tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots. The projects funded include containers to support a ‘no bags on the street’ policy in Newham, beautification combined with anti-climb fencing in Hyndburn and the integration of CCTV and a digital fly-tipping education tool in Durham.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in view of the incidence of fly tipping, whether she is taking steps with local authorities to increase access to recycling and refuse centres.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last year, Defra issued a call for evidence on booking systems at household waste recycling centres alongside the consultation on preventing charges for DIY waste at household waste recycling centres. The consultation and call for evidence closed on the 4th of July 2022. Alongside this, we commissioned research into the use of booking systems at household waste recycling centres to see if they have had an impact on fly-tipping levels. The government’s position on booking systems will be outlined shortly as part of the government response to the consultation on preventing charges for DIY waste at household waste recycling centres.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage (1) National Highways, (2) principal local authorities, (3) the Environment Agency, and (4) private landowners, to put in place measures to reduce littering and fly tipping on (a) roadsides, (b) slip roads, and (c) embankments adjacent to trunk roads, in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department for Transport (DfT) works closely with National Highways to ensure the Strategic Road Network is predominantly free from litter, without compromising safety. National Highways aims to influence littering behaviour, and improve operations, responsiveness to road user feedback and partnership-working with local authorities. National Highways performance is also reported to DfT and the Office of Rail and Road through a litter performance indicator.
Defra is supporting councils to tackle litter and fly-tipping such as by bolstering their enforcement powers (including where litter is thrown from a vehicle) and in recent years, providing grant funding for local interventions. These grants include nearly £1 million across 44 councils in 2021 to help them purchase litter bins and over £400,000 across 11 councils in 2022 to reduce fly-tipping using equipment such as CCTV. We have also committed to awarding a further £800,000 in grants in 2023 to help more councils tackle fly-tipping.
In 2022, Defra published a report on litter on the Strategic Road Network which highlighted good practice. Next steps on tackling the issue were outlined in our most recent Litter Strategy Annual Report, including how to ensure better collaboration between National Highways and local authorities.
Defra continues to chair the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, made up a wide range of interested bodies including the Environment Agency, organisations representing private landowners and local authorities, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping, including on private land.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of trends in the level of local authorities' budgets on litter-related enforcement action.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has not made any specific assessment of trends in local authority budgets on litter related enforcement action. Our new Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan sets out how we will support councils to take tougher action against those who litter, fly-tip and graffiti. This includes significantly raising the upper limit on fixed penalty notices, to £1,000 for fly-tipping and £500 for littering and leaving graffiti, and measures to help councils issue more penalties. Receipts from fixed penalties will be reinvested in clean up and enforcement.
We are also currently undertaking a research project on the effectiveness of the different enforcement options available to local authorities and the barriers they face in using these. The project is due to complete by the summer and the results will inform future policy development in this area.