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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to tackle littering from cigarette butts.

Cigarette butts continue to be the most littered item according to a survey commissioned by Defra. On our behalf, WRAP have explored options for tackling littering of cigarette butts, including making the industry financially responsible for the costs of dealing with littered butts.

The research, which will be published in due course, highlighted the need for further data. We will therefore continue to monitor the available evidence on the prevalence of littered cigarette filters before taking further action.