Westminster Hall
09:30
09:30
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today and to see so many colleagues here to participate in this important debate. I would like to thank the backbench Business Committee for allowing me to hold this debate. And to the colleagues who supported me in that application. Um, when people talk about fly tipping, it's often discussed as an environmental issue or waste management issue or a question of local authority enforcement. It's about pride.
It's about belonging. And whether people feel really good about the place that they call home. And the impact goes far beyond the physical waste itself. Surveys on environmental decay reveal that 86% of people living in heavily littered or fly tipped neighbourhoods feel embarrassed by their tired of seeing mattresses dumped in alleyways, household waste abandoned on street corners and green spaces treated as rubbish tips. They're not isolated incidents. They become part of the everyday experience of living in a neighbourhood, and the impact goes far beyond the physical waste itself.
Surveys on environmental decay reveal that 86% of people living in heavily littered or fly tipped neighbourhoods feel embarrassed by their area. Embarrassed. It's a terrible thing that people should feel that that statistic really ought to concern us all. Environmental degradation damages mental wellbeing, erodes civic pride and fuels a cycle of hopelessness that can leave residents feeling quite disconnected from the communities around them. People deserve to feel proud when they walk down their street. They deserve to feel that their neighbourhood matters.
When fly tipping becomes commonplace, it sends exactly the opposite message. It tells residents that standards are slipping, that nobody cares, and that decline is somehow acceptable. Once that perception takes hold, it can be incredibly difficult to reverse. We must also be honest about some of the pressures that have contributed to the problem. Across the country, councils have faced difficult decisions about waste services, public waste disposal facilities have been reduced in some areas. Opening hours have changed and restrictions have become more complicated.
Residents frequently tell me that local tips can be difficult to use, with limitations on what can be taken, who can take it and how often visits can be made. Again, none of this excuses criminal behaviour. Those who dump waste illegally are responsible for their actions. But if we're serious about solving the problem, we need to understand all the factors that contribute to it. I am happy to give way to my colleague.
It's about belonging. And whether people feel really good about the place that they call home. And the impact goes far beyond the physical waste itself. Surveys on environmental decay reveal that 86% of people living in heavily littered or fly tipped neighbourhoods feel embarrassed by their tired of seeing mattresses dumped in alleyways, household waste abandoned on street corners and green spaces treated as rubbish tips. They're not isolated incidents. They become part of the everyday experience of living in a neighbourhood, and the impact goes far beyond the physical waste itself.
Surveys on environmental decay reveal that 86% of people living in heavily littered or fly tipped neighbourhoods feel embarrassed by their area. Embarrassed. It's a terrible thing that people should feel that that statistic really ought to concern us all. Environmental degradation damages mental wellbeing, erodes civic pride and fuels a cycle of hopelessness that can leave residents feeling quite disconnected from the communities around them. People deserve to feel proud when they walk down their street. They deserve to feel that their neighbourhood matters.
When fly tipping becomes commonplace, it sends exactly the opposite message. It tells residents that standards are slipping, that nobody cares, and that decline is somehow acceptable. Once that perception takes hold, it can be incredibly difficult to reverse. We must also be honest about some of the pressures that have contributed to the problem. Across the country, councils have faced difficult decisions about waste services, public waste disposal facilities have been reduced in some areas. Opening hours have changed and restrictions have become more complicated.
Residents frequently tell me that local tips can be difficult to use, with limitations on what can be taken, who can take it and how often visits can be made. Again, none of this excuses criminal behaviour. Those who dump waste illegally are responsible for their actions. But if we're serious about solving the problem, we need to understand all the factors that contribute to it. I am happy to give way to my colleague.
09:33
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
I'm very grateful to her for giving way. She's making an excellent speech. It's a pleasure to serve under you, Mr. Stringer. Many of my residents are sick of fly tipping blighting our community, and it seems to be ever persistent. Now, obviously, this government has passed new laws which allow us to prosecute and go after those fly tippers. And my residents are also frustrated by the cost of cleaning up this mess. So does she agree with me that it's absolutely imperative, not only that we clean up our communities, but we make those that fly tip pay for it.
09:34
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
He makes an excellent point, Mr. Stringer. I mean, why on earth should everybody else pay for the mess that other people create?Um, particularly in hard pressed communities that are already struggling, adding to their council tax burden or additional costs really doesn't seem fair at all. To give way. Yes.
09:34
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
I thank the honourable member for giving way. Within my own constituency of Wolverhampton West, fly tipping remains a significant problem for local communities. What happens is that waste is dumped. The council acts properly to remove the waste, but then waste is back in the same place again. And as has already been mentioned, the problem is even more challenging when waste is dumped on private land and then the landowners have to endure the cost and burden of removing the waste. Sometimes hazardous quantities of waste.
So does my hon. Friend agree that we need stronger enforcement, and that would include greater use of CCTV that can catch the perpetrators and tougher penalties for offenders, which seems to be the only way that we are going to be able to deal with this serious anti-social behaviour.
So does my hon. Friend agree that we need stronger enforcement, and that would include greater use of CCTV that can catch the perpetrators and tougher penalties for offenders, which seems to be the only way that we are going to be able to deal with this serious anti-social behaviour.
09:35
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Yeah, I mean, my honourable friend makes a number of excellent points there. There are in every community hotspots that seem to be the exact site where people go back to again and again. So yes, CCTV there is provision for local authorities to utilise CCTV. It does have to be monitored. There's no point in having CCTV if it isn't being monitored. Local authorities also have powers to utilise drones to follow. Vehicles that are doing, you know, committing the crime of excessive tipping.
And I think he's absolutely right as well. The cost to private landowners. And I don't know whether some of the contributions that we might hear today will talk about perhaps more rural communities and the impact of fly tipping on their land and the environmental waste that they are then required to clean up. Because I think that that is incredibly challenging when it is hazardous waste. I am happy to give way. Yes.
And I think he's absolutely right as well. The cost to private landowners. And I don't know whether some of the contributions that we might hear today will talk about perhaps more rural communities and the impact of fly tipping on their land and the environmental waste that they are then required to clean up. Because I think that that is incredibly challenging when it is hazardous waste. I am happy to give way. Yes.
09:36
Speaker 5
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Speaker 5
Extremely grateful to the lady for giving way on that point. A rural and private land. The Environment Agency in my constituency in Wellington has said there's a gap in regulation when it comes to privately owned sites that begin to be used for one purpose, but gradually accumulate waste and become fly tipping destination, against which the Environment Agency has no powers to act because it's private land and councils are also struggling to have the right approach. Would the honourable lady consider that as a significant issue in rural constituencies such as mine?
09:37
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
I thank him for that, that contribution because, um, it's interesting that he says there might be a gap in regulations. And I suspect it's not just rural, private land, but it's all private land because I have the same thing in my constituency relating to alleyways or unadopted areas, um, that frequently are fly tipped and local authorities. I was going to come on to it later, but I'll repeat myself later because why not?Yes. This place is all about repetition, isn't it?Um, in those alleyways, um, you know, local authorities will say we don't have responsibility for that.
The same for other private land. I do think that the Environment Agency would be much more concerned, of course, if the dumping and the fly tipping is something that is hazardous waste and does have broader environmental impact, that is something that would then fall into their area of responsibility. Absolutely.
The same for other private land. I do think that the Environment Agency would be much more concerned, of course, if the dumping and the fly tipping is something that is hazardous waste and does have broader environmental impact, that is something that would then fall into their area of responsibility. Absolutely.
09:37
Speaker 6
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Speaker 6
I appreciate you giving way. And it's, um, it speaks to the, the timeliness of this debate that so many people want to contribute on that specific point. My local authority of Bromley does very well cleaning up fly tipping, but sometimes it's a little bit hamstrung because the waste is tipped on housing association land, and residents will perceive this to be the council's responsibility, but they can't do anything about it. I wonder if the honourable member has any thoughts about that. Thank you.
09:38
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Yes, I mean, thank you for thank him for his comment. Um, housing association land and the responsibilities for housing associations when they are also facing financial challenges of their own becomes a similar issue. And that's where we end up relying so much on communities to come together and do the clean up. But I do think that there needs to be a much more holistic solution, because I don't think that you can always rely on communities to step in, to do something that has such a fundamental impact on communities and the way that people are living their lives.
And I'm sure that housing associations have an opportunity to work more closely with local authorities to try and come up with an improved solution. Of course.
And I'm sure that housing associations have an opportunity to work more closely with local authorities to try and come up with an improved solution. Of course.
09:38
Speaker 7
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Speaker 7
Member for giving weight. Very generous with her interventions, but the comments she's made about the community are very relevant. To give one example, uh, there was an action day in Immingham only 2 or 3 weeks ago, but it involved not just, as she rightly points out, the local authority councillors and so on, but also in this case, in our case, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership. But the important thing I want to stress is that the funding was made available on this occasion by Phillips 66. So does she agree that the private sector can make a contribution to this by supporting community groups?
09:39
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Uh, I'm very grateful for my constituents contribution. Uh, an excellent one as always. Um, I mean, he makes a very, very valid point. And Phillips 66 is a great contributor to, to community activities across our areas. I wouldn't like to see us relying on that all of the time. However, I think it's a really welcome contribution and incredibly helpful. And, uh, and we're very grateful and community groups, we're very grateful for any funding that they can get.
But the fact that we have to rely on it so much, I think, um, speaks to the fact that we need to get a grip on this issue. And he will know very recently, um, we had a big flytipping issue in Weelsby Woods, which is just around the corner from where he lives, so he will know it very well. Uh, we had an unauthorised encampment there with a huge amount of waste left behind. No concern for the fact that this is one of our valued green spaces where families regularly attend.
And the images that were left behind really shocked local residents and what should have been valued. Green space really turned into a disgusting dumping ground. And speaking about communities and how they do pull together, because it did really demonstrate something important about our local community. Because while, um, the council sent, uh, sent teams to clear the site, volunteers also stepped up to help and several tons of waste. It was only an encampment for 3 or 4 days, several tonnes of waste from lots of, um, tree work that had been undertaken and all of the waste from that, uh, dumped in the park.
So while that incident kind of highlights the scale of the challenge, it also highlighted the strength of community spirit that does exist across Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes and Brigg and Immingham. Before discussing policy solutions, I just want to place on record my thanks to the many local campaigners, volunteers, kicks like empower and Council staff who devote who devote countless hours to improving our environment. People like Zach from Pike Walks, whose efforts have inspired countless residents, including lots of children, to take greater pride in their local area.
Frank Sparkes, who's become well known locally for his tireless work cleaning up the north wall. He also taught me how to tie a fisherman's net at the weekend, so thank you very much, Frank. I'm not sure I can remember it or repeat it, but he was excellent. Um, people like Jim Elliot, who's become known as the the canoe River man, uh, spending his time removing rubbish from our waterways by canoe. And I did join Jim on the water and quickly discovered that clearing litter from a canoe requires considerably more skill and balance than I actually do possess.
Jim makes it look very effortless. Um, but I think he spent just as much time trying to keep the boat upright as he did collecting the rubbish. Um, and our local Wombles litter picking group who quietly and consistently make a difference every week, uh, in our local area and also to members of our local labour group who have been working alongside these residents and volunteers and have cleared 11 rubbish filled alleyways across the constituency and continue to organise clean up operations throughout the area. Um, it is tough work.
It's not just turn up for a photo opportunity. They are grafting to clear those alleyways and their efforts really do demonstrate something important. People care deeply about the area in which they live, and the challenge for us as policy makers is ensuring that those residents are supported rather than constantly forced to fight the same battles over and over again. The point that my honourable friend made earlier, and that's why I welcome the action that's already been taken by this Labour government. Because for too long, fly tipping has been treated as a low level nuisance rather than the serious offence that it is.
The government's new approach rightly recognises that waste criminals should face meaningful consequences, and I particularly welcome proposals for so-called clean up squads. Under these plans, local authorities will be able to issue conditional cautions requiring offenders to undertake community payback, unpaid work, cleaning streets, parks and public spaces, including the areas where they have dumped. That sends a really important message, I think, about accountability. I also welcome plans that will allow councils to recover money directly from offenders to clean up operations, to fund the clean up operations and ensure that taxpayers are not left carrying the cost.
Again, as my honourable friend mentioned in his intervention, councils already have the power to seize vehicles involved in flytipping, but ministers are also encouraging local authorities to go further and use the power that they have to crush vehicles used in these offensive offences. Increasing public awareness of enforcement action and making better use of technology such as CCTV, drones and automatic number plate recognition. These are really practical tools that can help identify offenders and improve conviction rates. I also welcome the fact that repeat fly tippers now face the prospect of penalty points on their driving licence, with the possibility of disqualification for those who repeatedly offend.
For some offenders, the threat of losing a licence may prove a far more effective deterrent than a fine alone. These are important reforms and they deserve recognition, but I believe that there is still further that we we can go, um, first we need much stronger public awareness around waste carrier licences. I think that many residents unknowingly and unwittingly hand over waste to individuals who are advertising cheap disposal services online or through cold calling, and they assume that the waste will be disposed of legally. Instead, it often ends up dumped in alleyways, fields and green spaces, and too many people simply don't know that they have a responsibility themselves to check that waste carriers are properly licensed.
Public education must become a central part of our strategy. Secondly, we need to address the cost and availability of bulky waste collection. If we want people to dispose of waste responsibly, the legal route must be straightforward, affordable and accessible. I would like to see consideration given to a more universal approach across local authorities, so that residents can dispose of bulky household items without facing excessive costs or barriers. That there could be joint, um, bulky waste disposals between residents as well. There's a role for landlords in areas with high turnover, private rented accommodation waste accumulation often becomes a recurring problem during tenancy changes.
Landlords should work much more closely with local authorities to ensure proper waste disposal arrangements are in place, and to prevent alleyways and communal areas becoming dumping grounds. Uh. It will work in their favour too. It's much easier to rent a property in an area that looks like it is being cared for and looked after. Finally, we need to look carefully at the enforcement processes. Local authorities frequently tell us that gathering evidence, issuing penalties, and pursuing court action can be lengthy, expensive and resource intensive.
If we want councils to make greater use of enforcement powers, we must ensure that those powers can be exercised efficiently and effectively, reducing the cost, complexity and evidential burden associated with prosecutions would help authorities take action more quickly and more consistently. And one of the issues we did touch on it earlier about this not in our land, um approach from local authorities. If if local authorities are not in a position to keep an area clean, then what are they for?Because they are there for local people.
They are there to take care of our local areas. We consistently say that, you know, if we're in support of devolution, that we want power to be closer to people in the hands of those who know their areas better, then they also should have concern for those areas and not be so quick to say, there's nothing that we can do about that. And I think that in my local area, what I've seen, I don't know whether other colleagues have found the same thing that very often where it is on private land.
The local authority has advised local councils that they should utilise their ward funding to to, to come up with a solution or people are going to, to private companies. As my constituency neighbour said, um I do think that that is not what ward funding is intended for. It can all get sucked up in tidying that up when it should be used for much more productive, proactive, positive actions. Um, and in terms of it being a benefit and a cost benefit, I do think that economies of scale, if local authorities, housing associations, other public bodies who've got an interest in keeping our areas clean and tidy and safe, if they came together, actually, it would prove much more effective use of public money, because it doesn't matter whether it's ward funding or whether it's local authority money or whether it's housing association money, it's all public money.
So let's use it as effectively and efficiently as we can. And so to conclude, to allow the many colleagues who are interested in speaking in this debate to contribute, fly tipping is often seen as a hyper localised issue, but its consequences are national. It affects how people feel about their communities. It affects mental wellbeing, health, environmental, health. It affects perceptions of safety and security. It affects tourism, investment, neighbourhood confidence and most importantly, affects whether people believe that their communities valued.
The people of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes have a right to expect that their neighbourhoods, that they live in, neighborhoods that they can be proud of. So the volunteers, campaigners, kicks and council staff that I've mentioned today are already doing extraordinary work. The government has taken welcome and significant steps to strengthen enforcement and hold offenders to account. But by improving awareness, strengthening disposal options, supporting councils and tackling the wider causes of waste crime, we can go further still and I look forward to working with the government to ensure that communities across the country are cleaner, safer and places that people are proud to call home.
But the fact that we have to rely on it so much, I think, um, speaks to the fact that we need to get a grip on this issue. And he will know very recently, um, we had a big flytipping issue in Weelsby Woods, which is just around the corner from where he lives, so he will know it very well. Uh, we had an unauthorised encampment there with a huge amount of waste left behind. No concern for the fact that this is one of our valued green spaces where families regularly attend.
And the images that were left behind really shocked local residents and what should have been valued. Green space really turned into a disgusting dumping ground. And speaking about communities and how they do pull together, because it did really demonstrate something important about our local community. Because while, um, the council sent, uh, sent teams to clear the site, volunteers also stepped up to help and several tons of waste. It was only an encampment for 3 or 4 days, several tonnes of waste from lots of, um, tree work that had been undertaken and all of the waste from that, uh, dumped in the park.
So while that incident kind of highlights the scale of the challenge, it also highlighted the strength of community spirit that does exist across Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes and Brigg and Immingham. Before discussing policy solutions, I just want to place on record my thanks to the many local campaigners, volunteers, kicks like empower and Council staff who devote who devote countless hours to improving our environment. People like Zach from Pike Walks, whose efforts have inspired countless residents, including lots of children, to take greater pride in their local area.
Frank Sparkes, who's become well known locally for his tireless work cleaning up the north wall. He also taught me how to tie a fisherman's net at the weekend, so thank you very much, Frank. I'm not sure I can remember it or repeat it, but he was excellent. Um, people like Jim Elliot, who's become known as the the canoe River man, uh, spending his time removing rubbish from our waterways by canoe. And I did join Jim on the water and quickly discovered that clearing litter from a canoe requires considerably more skill and balance than I actually do possess.
Jim makes it look very effortless. Um, but I think he spent just as much time trying to keep the boat upright as he did collecting the rubbish. Um, and our local Wombles litter picking group who quietly and consistently make a difference every week, uh, in our local area and also to members of our local labour group who have been working alongside these residents and volunteers and have cleared 11 rubbish filled alleyways across the constituency and continue to organise clean up operations throughout the area. Um, it is tough work.
It's not just turn up for a photo opportunity. They are grafting to clear those alleyways and their efforts really do demonstrate something important. People care deeply about the area in which they live, and the challenge for us as policy makers is ensuring that those residents are supported rather than constantly forced to fight the same battles over and over again. The point that my honourable friend made earlier, and that's why I welcome the action that's already been taken by this Labour government. Because for too long, fly tipping has been treated as a low level nuisance rather than the serious offence that it is.
The government's new approach rightly recognises that waste criminals should face meaningful consequences, and I particularly welcome proposals for so-called clean up squads. Under these plans, local authorities will be able to issue conditional cautions requiring offenders to undertake community payback, unpaid work, cleaning streets, parks and public spaces, including the areas where they have dumped. That sends a really important message, I think, about accountability. I also welcome plans that will allow councils to recover money directly from offenders to clean up operations, to fund the clean up operations and ensure that taxpayers are not left carrying the cost.
Again, as my honourable friend mentioned in his intervention, councils already have the power to seize vehicles involved in flytipping, but ministers are also encouraging local authorities to go further and use the power that they have to crush vehicles used in these offensive offences. Increasing public awareness of enforcement action and making better use of technology such as CCTV, drones and automatic number plate recognition. These are really practical tools that can help identify offenders and improve conviction rates. I also welcome the fact that repeat fly tippers now face the prospect of penalty points on their driving licence, with the possibility of disqualification for those who repeatedly offend.
For some offenders, the threat of losing a licence may prove a far more effective deterrent than a fine alone. These are important reforms and they deserve recognition, but I believe that there is still further that we we can go, um, first we need much stronger public awareness around waste carrier licences. I think that many residents unknowingly and unwittingly hand over waste to individuals who are advertising cheap disposal services online or through cold calling, and they assume that the waste will be disposed of legally. Instead, it often ends up dumped in alleyways, fields and green spaces, and too many people simply don't know that they have a responsibility themselves to check that waste carriers are properly licensed.
Public education must become a central part of our strategy. Secondly, we need to address the cost and availability of bulky waste collection. If we want people to dispose of waste responsibly, the legal route must be straightforward, affordable and accessible. I would like to see consideration given to a more universal approach across local authorities, so that residents can dispose of bulky household items without facing excessive costs or barriers. That there could be joint, um, bulky waste disposals between residents as well. There's a role for landlords in areas with high turnover, private rented accommodation waste accumulation often becomes a recurring problem during tenancy changes.
Landlords should work much more closely with local authorities to ensure proper waste disposal arrangements are in place, and to prevent alleyways and communal areas becoming dumping grounds. Uh. It will work in their favour too. It's much easier to rent a property in an area that looks like it is being cared for and looked after. Finally, we need to look carefully at the enforcement processes. Local authorities frequently tell us that gathering evidence, issuing penalties, and pursuing court action can be lengthy, expensive and resource intensive.
If we want councils to make greater use of enforcement powers, we must ensure that those powers can be exercised efficiently and effectively, reducing the cost, complexity and evidential burden associated with prosecutions would help authorities take action more quickly and more consistently. And one of the issues we did touch on it earlier about this not in our land, um approach from local authorities. If if local authorities are not in a position to keep an area clean, then what are they for?Because they are there for local people.
They are there to take care of our local areas. We consistently say that, you know, if we're in support of devolution, that we want power to be closer to people in the hands of those who know their areas better, then they also should have concern for those areas and not be so quick to say, there's nothing that we can do about that. And I think that in my local area, what I've seen, I don't know whether other colleagues have found the same thing that very often where it is on private land.
The local authority has advised local councils that they should utilise their ward funding to to, to come up with a solution or people are going to, to private companies. As my constituency neighbour said, um I do think that that is not what ward funding is intended for. It can all get sucked up in tidying that up when it should be used for much more productive, proactive, positive actions. Um, and in terms of it being a benefit and a cost benefit, I do think that economies of scale, if local authorities, housing associations, other public bodies who've got an interest in keeping our areas clean and tidy and safe, if they came together, actually, it would prove much more effective use of public money, because it doesn't matter whether it's ward funding or whether it's local authority money or whether it's housing association money, it's all public money.
So let's use it as effectively and efficiently as we can. And so to conclude, to allow the many colleagues who are interested in speaking in this debate to contribute, fly tipping is often seen as a hyper localised issue, but its consequences are national. It affects how people feel about their communities. It affects mental wellbeing, health, environmental, health. It affects perceptions of safety and security. It affects tourism, investment, neighbourhood confidence and most importantly, affects whether people believe that their communities valued.
The people of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes have a right to expect that their neighbourhoods, that they live in, neighborhoods that they can be proud of. So the volunteers, campaigners, kicks and council staff that I've mentioned today are already doing extraordinary work. The government has taken welcome and significant steps to strengthen enforcement and hold offenders to account. But by improving awareness, strengthening disposal options, supporting councils and tackling the wider causes of waste crime, we can go further still and I look forward to working with the government to ensure that communities across the country are cleaner, safer and places that people are proud to call home.
09:49
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Sorry, I'm just counting so we can calculate. Ten. Yeah. Thank you. Um, I remind honourable members if they want to participate in the debate to Bob every time at the end of speeches, I am going to call the front bench spokespeople at 1130. And just doing the simple arithmetic, that means there'll be a time limit of four minutes on speeches. The question is that this House has considered the matter of flytipping in residential areas and associated impacts.
Hannah Spencer.
Hannah Spencer.
09:50
Speaker 8
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Speaker 8
Thank you. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, and I congratulate the honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes on securing this debate. Thank you so much. In Manchester alone, there are around 15000 reports of Flytipping. That is more than 40 incidents every single day. And in the constituency that I represent in Gorton Denton, the situation is particularly bad. In Levenshulme. There was one flytipping complaint for every four households in Longsight, there were over 1000 incidents last year, the highest in Manchester, with Levenshulme close behind on 952 and behind every single one of these reports is a person who cares about where they live and who deserves so much better than having to live with illegally dumped waste in their backyards.
And the chances are it is even worse than these numbers show. I regularly speak to constituents who, understandably, have lost all faith in reporting it at all, because too often, reporting doesn't lead to any action, and the waste remains in our alleyways, in our kids parks, and on our street corners. And this is not about blaming communities. It's about ensuring that people have clean, safe streets wherever they live, regardless of their postcode. Tackling flytipping means proper enforcement against rogue waste operators and fraudulent businesses, but it also means giving local authorities the money that they need to actually deal with this.
And this is where things just don't add up, because in Greater Manchester we've seen huge development in recent years with property and construction firms making huge profits, yet very little of that wealth is being returned to communities that made that possible. I see clean streets around glossy new developments while surrounding areas and neighbourhoods are left littered with waste. A YouGov and Oxfam survey found that 78% of people support a 2% wealth tax on net assets over £10 million. And if we're serious about fairness and cleaning up our communities, then properly taxing extreme wealth is part of our solution.
And that's how we give councils the tools and the money they need to fix problems like Flytipping. So today I asked the minister whether they'll discuss with the Chancellor how to ensure that people who are getting super rich from property development contribute fairly to the communities they profit from to fund the clean up of issues like Flytipping?Thank you.
And the chances are it is even worse than these numbers show. I regularly speak to constituents who, understandably, have lost all faith in reporting it at all, because too often, reporting doesn't lead to any action, and the waste remains in our alleyways, in our kids parks, and on our street corners. And this is not about blaming communities. It's about ensuring that people have clean, safe streets wherever they live, regardless of their postcode. Tackling flytipping means proper enforcement against rogue waste operators and fraudulent businesses, but it also means giving local authorities the money that they need to actually deal with this.
And this is where things just don't add up, because in Greater Manchester we've seen huge development in recent years with property and construction firms making huge profits, yet very little of that wealth is being returned to communities that made that possible. I see clean streets around glossy new developments while surrounding areas and neighbourhoods are left littered with waste. A YouGov and Oxfam survey found that 78% of people support a 2% wealth tax on net assets over £10 million. And if we're serious about fairness and cleaning up our communities, then properly taxing extreme wealth is part of our solution.
And that's how we give councils the tools and the money they need to fix problems like Flytipping. So today I asked the minister whether they'll discuss with the Chancellor how to ensure that people who are getting super rich from property development contribute fairly to the communities they profit from to fund the clean up of issues like Flytipping?Thank you.
09:52
Speaker 9
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Speaker 9
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a pleasure to serve. The Chair And I'd also like to thank my hon. Friend the member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for bringing this important debate. Fly tipping is not only damaging to our environment, it makes our communities worse places to live. No one wants to walk past those huge piles of rubbish. Now I represent Morecambe and Lunesdale, which hosts some of the most beautiful spots in the country. I've a national landscape, a national park, the beautiful Lune Valley and of course Heysham and Morecambe, which look out across the beautiful Morecambe Bay.
Now Morecambe's town motto is beauty surrounds, health abounds, and I would like to preserve that beauty for my constituents. I do have contact from rural constituents on this issue, but as this debate is focused on residential areas, I'm going to limit myself to talking about problems raised with me in towns like Morecambe, Heysham and Carnforth. And at this point I'd just like to put on record my thanks to the. My thanks to the local Wombles groups and the local litter pickers who go out every week in all conditions to help tidy up our community.
Now, this residency. Morecambe regularly tell me about their frustration of rubbish left in alleyways and they worry about letting their kids go out to play because of broken glass. They're worried about rats, and that's not to mention the expense. Millions of pounds every year spent in England just to clean up waste. Now I asked my constituents what more could be done to tackle fly tipping and an overwhelming number of people cited the cost of properly disposing rubbish as a driver for fly tipping.
Now private waste companies and council removal services are expensive and people without a car just don't have any other option. So if money is tight, then there is a strong temptation to do the wrong thing and avoid disposal fees. And whilst I might get very grumpy at the outcome of this, we have to take an approach of what works and what might prevent the problem. So a few of the things, a few suggestions from my constituents were regular neighbourhood skip days where people could use council skips, a couple of bulky, item free bulky item pick ups a year, keeping the restrictions on van trips to the tip, but removing the need to book so people could go on spec and community waste points.
And there have also been suggestions about incentive schemes. I'd be really interested in the minister's comments on prevention. Now, this won't fix the problem entirely. Of course. We do need to have enforcement. So I'm really pleased to see the government publish the Waste Crime Action Plan, which takes a zero tolerance approach. Now the Environment Agency receiving an extra £45 million over the next three years, is really important to boost enforcement. And what I really like, though, is that fly tippers face being ordered to clean up their mess.
I think that's really important and required to repay the cost of their illegally dumped waste. They could also face penalty points in their licences and if they're a serious repeat offender, even lose their licence. Um, constituents, talk to me about cameras. I know some councils have been using drones as well, and we have to look at all the different ways we can tackle this now. Lancaster Lancaster City Council covers the Lancashire part of my constituency, and they found that across the whole of their district, it's prevalent in five wards and those are the most the five most deprived wards.
So people who are already facing a lot of challenges also have to deal with their neighbourhood looking like crap. And it's just not fair. Now, what surprised me was the city council said that some people told them they didn't know fly tipping was illegal. They didn't know that it was a criminal offence. I'm slightly suspicious of that. But to close, Mr. Stringer, the Waste Crime Action Plan allows for tougher enforcement, which is very welcome and more resources to do this.
But I would argue that we also have to make sure it's easier for people to do the right thing in the first place, encourage a sense of pride in people's local communities, as well as ensuring that people take personal responsibility for their actions.
Now Morecambe's town motto is beauty surrounds, health abounds, and I would like to preserve that beauty for my constituents. I do have contact from rural constituents on this issue, but as this debate is focused on residential areas, I'm going to limit myself to talking about problems raised with me in towns like Morecambe, Heysham and Carnforth. And at this point I'd just like to put on record my thanks to the. My thanks to the local Wombles groups and the local litter pickers who go out every week in all conditions to help tidy up our community.
Now, this residency. Morecambe regularly tell me about their frustration of rubbish left in alleyways and they worry about letting their kids go out to play because of broken glass. They're worried about rats, and that's not to mention the expense. Millions of pounds every year spent in England just to clean up waste. Now I asked my constituents what more could be done to tackle fly tipping and an overwhelming number of people cited the cost of properly disposing rubbish as a driver for fly tipping.
Now private waste companies and council removal services are expensive and people without a car just don't have any other option. So if money is tight, then there is a strong temptation to do the wrong thing and avoid disposal fees. And whilst I might get very grumpy at the outcome of this, we have to take an approach of what works and what might prevent the problem. So a few of the things, a few suggestions from my constituents were regular neighbourhood skip days where people could use council skips, a couple of bulky, item free bulky item pick ups a year, keeping the restrictions on van trips to the tip, but removing the need to book so people could go on spec and community waste points.
And there have also been suggestions about incentive schemes. I'd be really interested in the minister's comments on prevention. Now, this won't fix the problem entirely. Of course. We do need to have enforcement. So I'm really pleased to see the government publish the Waste Crime Action Plan, which takes a zero tolerance approach. Now the Environment Agency receiving an extra £45 million over the next three years, is really important to boost enforcement. And what I really like, though, is that fly tippers face being ordered to clean up their mess.
I think that's really important and required to repay the cost of their illegally dumped waste. They could also face penalty points in their licences and if they're a serious repeat offender, even lose their licence. Um, constituents, talk to me about cameras. I know some councils have been using drones as well, and we have to look at all the different ways we can tackle this now. Lancaster Lancaster City Council covers the Lancashire part of my constituency, and they found that across the whole of their district, it's prevalent in five wards and those are the most the five most deprived wards.
So people who are already facing a lot of challenges also have to deal with their neighbourhood looking like crap. And it's just not fair. Now, what surprised me was the city council said that some people told them they didn't know fly tipping was illegal. They didn't know that it was a criminal offence. I'm slightly suspicious of that. But to close, Mr. Stringer, the Waste Crime Action Plan allows for tougher enforcement, which is very welcome and more resources to do this.
But I would argue that we also have to make sure it's easier for people to do the right thing in the first place, encourage a sense of pride in people's local communities, as well as ensuring that people take personal responsibility for their actions.
09:56
09:56
Speaker 10
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Speaker 10
Thank you chair. Can I first of all, thank the honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, not just for securing this debate, but also for articulating each and every point which impacts the agenda of fly tipping. It's something that is prevalent not just in my constituency of Birmingham, Perry Barr, but across the whole city of Birmingham. And as has been said across the whole country. Um, the honourable member said that repetition never makes, um, any argument more persuasive. But um, she's touched on all the key points which I was going to speak about.
Um so it is, I saw it damages appearances of street parks, green spaces, attracts vermin, impacts on health, obstruction of pavements, children and vulnerable adults, all, um, being impacted. But in specific, there are within my constituency, Birmingham, Perry Barr, there are an ageing community in certain parts of Birmingham, Perry Barr and unfortunately, whilst they take pride in their neighbourhood, the fact that they are old and vulnerable means that they are not able to deal with the issues. Whereas Fit enabled people may. So they they own properties which have private land at the rear and unfortunately that has been abused by not them.
There have been very, very proud of their um back spaces. But um, you have grog waste collectors which have identified this particular location, location and regularly fly tip. Now the local council unfortunately cannot deal with it because they simply say it's private land and we are not able to touch the dumped rubbish. Local councillors have not been receiving any community chest award money to spend. So that's just simply piling up, causing immense issues for vulnerable people. And it really comes down to finances.
And although it's not an issue in silo, needs to be dealt with across all departments within the local council, we often hear that CCTV may assist or drones, but all that comes with costs and unless councils are resourced in Birmingham, unfortunately we had bankruptcy. I know that we're out of that bankruptcy at present, but it doesn't mean that we've got sufficient resources to be able to deal with the types of fly tipping that we witness almost on a daily basis, and these regular hotspots are real eyesore. And unfortunately, I reflect back when I was growing up in a little town called Aston, and I look at the winter times and, and I used to, as a kid with my siblings, relish the thought of playing snowballs in the morning because it snow and, and by the time we'd got up, the whole street was clean because every neighbour had got out in the morning, cleaned their front patch, and the only place you could play snowballs was in the local park.
And it's that level of pride that we want to re-instill within our communities, and that can only be achieved if we have a council that's able to effectively resource and tackle the fly tipping, and it needs to be a national campaign. I don't think this is a local issue and a local campaign. Education needs to be at the forefront where our young children are taught at school, regular sessions of taking young people out not only to clean streets and take pride in the local community, but also methods of reporting people that offend.
And I think we need to embolden our communities. There's a lot of people out there that take pride, want to report, but fear that if they do so, they are identified and there may be repercussions. But I think that it comes down to resources. Thank you chair.
Um so it is, I saw it damages appearances of street parks, green spaces, attracts vermin, impacts on health, obstruction of pavements, children and vulnerable adults, all, um, being impacted. But in specific, there are within my constituency, Birmingham, Perry Barr, there are an ageing community in certain parts of Birmingham, Perry Barr and unfortunately, whilst they take pride in their neighbourhood, the fact that they are old and vulnerable means that they are not able to deal with the issues. Whereas Fit enabled people may. So they they own properties which have private land at the rear and unfortunately that has been abused by not them.
There have been very, very proud of their um back spaces. But um, you have grog waste collectors which have identified this particular location, location and regularly fly tip. Now the local council unfortunately cannot deal with it because they simply say it's private land and we are not able to touch the dumped rubbish. Local councillors have not been receiving any community chest award money to spend. So that's just simply piling up, causing immense issues for vulnerable people. And it really comes down to finances.
And although it's not an issue in silo, needs to be dealt with across all departments within the local council, we often hear that CCTV may assist or drones, but all that comes with costs and unless councils are resourced in Birmingham, unfortunately we had bankruptcy. I know that we're out of that bankruptcy at present, but it doesn't mean that we've got sufficient resources to be able to deal with the types of fly tipping that we witness almost on a daily basis, and these regular hotspots are real eyesore. And unfortunately, I reflect back when I was growing up in a little town called Aston, and I look at the winter times and, and I used to, as a kid with my siblings, relish the thought of playing snowballs in the morning because it snow and, and by the time we'd got up, the whole street was clean because every neighbour had got out in the morning, cleaned their front patch, and the only place you could play snowballs was in the local park.
And it's that level of pride that we want to re-instill within our communities, and that can only be achieved if we have a council that's able to effectively resource and tackle the fly tipping, and it needs to be a national campaign. I don't think this is a local issue and a local campaign. Education needs to be at the forefront where our young children are taught at school, regular sessions of taking young people out not only to clean streets and take pride in the local community, but also methods of reporting people that offend.
And I think we need to embolden our communities. There's a lot of people out there that take pride, want to report, but fear that if they do so, they are identified and there may be repercussions. But I think that it comes down to resources. Thank you chair.
10:00
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Joe Morris, thank you, Mr. Chair. Under your Chairship fly tipping in residential and in rural areas is a blight across the communities that I represent, whether that's the most rural communities, uh, communities like Belsay or Kirkley Hall or the more urban side of my seat in areas like Throckley, Newburn and Walbottle, and on pay particular tribute to community organisations that take action to clear up local litter and to take action against fly tipping organisations like the Ponteland Anti-litter squad and the Hexham Wombles, most of whom do excellent jobs. And there's other groups throughout my constituency in the 200 towns and villages represent that.
I'd be detaining you all for quite long if I named them all. Um, I do want to welcome the Waste Crime Action Plan. I think it sets an excellent foundation for taking action to tackle fly tipping that blight communities across the span of my constituency. But I am slightly concerned. I must admit that in the more rural side of my seat, there is a growing problem of kind of mega fly tipping, of single areas becoming magnets. And while it is not sort of hyper residential, as has been spoken about by many of my wise and well-informed colleagues, it is nevertheless a blight on communities that live around them, and it's a blight on communities that use those green spaces to enjoy the countryside, enjoy their surroundings.
I've been really heartened to see some statistics coming out of Northumberland and coming out in Newcastle, showing the hard work of council workers in addressing fly tipping. Unfortunately, I do think there is a structural issue within Northumberland in particular where the conservative administration does kind of neglect the west of the county. It directs resources away from the area. It presents to areas that it prefers. And I think there's been a slight sense in my constituency, certainly, that we're getting short changed, that the conservatives are putting up our council tax for very little in return in the west of the county.
I do want to briefly touch on another issue, which is the Walbottle road tip in New Bern. It's a major driver of fly tipping in my constituency. It's a major driver of constituent unease and unrest over fly tipping, simply because it is impossible to turn into. It is something that has been a a running sore for residents over many years, including when the when the current member for Newcastle North represented this part of Newcastle. And I really want to urge the Minister to think about how she can encourage councils to make their tips more accessible, um, to take on some of those some of those concerns, because I think it's one of the priorities for the new reform councillors in Throckley Newburn is to tackle that tip, to make sure that residents are able to access it and to make sure that the Mill Vale estate no longer has to deal with either the consistent fumes from traffic idling just outside it, or simply the sheer noise of traffic and the the incidence of fly tipping that we're seeing around it.
But thank you very much, Geoff.
I'd be detaining you all for quite long if I named them all. Um, I do want to welcome the Waste Crime Action Plan. I think it sets an excellent foundation for taking action to tackle fly tipping that blight communities across the span of my constituency. But I am slightly concerned. I must admit that in the more rural side of my seat, there is a growing problem of kind of mega fly tipping, of single areas becoming magnets. And while it is not sort of hyper residential, as has been spoken about by many of my wise and well-informed colleagues, it is nevertheless a blight on communities that live around them, and it's a blight on communities that use those green spaces to enjoy the countryside, enjoy their surroundings.
I've been really heartened to see some statistics coming out of Northumberland and coming out in Newcastle, showing the hard work of council workers in addressing fly tipping. Unfortunately, I do think there is a structural issue within Northumberland in particular where the conservative administration does kind of neglect the west of the county. It directs resources away from the area. It presents to areas that it prefers. And I think there's been a slight sense in my constituency, certainly, that we're getting short changed, that the conservatives are putting up our council tax for very little in return in the west of the county.
I do want to briefly touch on another issue, which is the Walbottle road tip in New Bern. It's a major driver of fly tipping in my constituency. It's a major driver of constituent unease and unrest over fly tipping, simply because it is impossible to turn into. It is something that has been a a running sore for residents over many years, including when the when the current member for Newcastle North represented this part of Newcastle. And I really want to urge the Minister to think about how she can encourage councils to make their tips more accessible, um, to take on some of those some of those concerns, because I think it's one of the priorities for the new reform councillors in Throckley Newburn is to tackle that tip, to make sure that residents are able to access it and to make sure that the Mill Vale estate no longer has to deal with either the consistent fumes from traffic idling just outside it, or simply the sheer noise of traffic and the the incidence of fly tipping that we're seeing around it.
But thank you very much, Geoff.
10:03
10:03
Speaker 12
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Speaker 12
A pleasure to serve on your ship. And can I first of all, thank the honourable lady for Grimsby. Great Grimsby, I should say, for for setting the scene incredibly well and a big welcome to the Minister. And we're very fortunate to have the Minister. By the way, this minister is committed to the very things that we're asking for, and I want to wish her well as she tries to pursue those matters. We're not talking about a minor inconvenience or a bit of harmless litter, Mr.
Chairman. We're talking about deliberate criminal environmental vandalism that devalues people's homes, attracts vermin to their doorsteps, and robs law abiding citizens of their hard earned money. And I'm going give a Northern Ireland perspective won't be a big surprise to anybody, but it is important that we put on record where we are. The Northern Ireland Environmental Stats Report confirms that public anger um, has reached a boiling point. A staggering 73% of citizens are deeply concerned about our environment. And for the first time ever, a dumping and littering has officially overtaken air and water pollution as a single greatest environmental anxiety for households in Northern Ireland.
Sitting at some 34% of respondents. I drove up. When I'm at home, I live in Greyabbey, so main town is my my office. I drive up and down that road, uh, 2 to 3 times a day, maybe more. But the point I'm going to make is that people litter out there. KFC or McDonald's, their sandwiches or whatever. They're out the window and they're in there and they're usually hidden in the grass until the grass is cut.
Mr. chairman, when the grass is cut, guess what?This litter has been lying for maybe six months suddenly becomes accessible. National Trust announced today they're out after the council to try and do something. But we have a beautiful nation. Recent figures released by the. That almost 340 major illegal dumping sites were actively investigated in Northern Ireland over the past year alone. There's an epidemic. Um, my constituency crosses two council areas, Ards and North Down, uh, but may also the other one that I represent partially Newry, Mourne Down, they're suffering some of the worst littering.
They have some 31 major investigated illegal waste sites. Um and that's not the count that matters is the the honourable lady referred to. I mean it's one of those things you don't take your matters down to the dump. You throw it along the the the the lay bys and the roads of the, of the Ards and the Ards Peninsula. Um they don't count the, the black, the black bins full of rotting house, uh, household waste abandoned in the coastal paths of Bangor or the rural lanes of the Ards Peninsula.
Every single week local councils are forced to divert immense resources resources just to clean up these waste cowboys. Ni Northern Ireland has spent some half a million turning up illegal sites just in the past period of time. I'm very happy to you.
Chairman. We're talking about deliberate criminal environmental vandalism that devalues people's homes, attracts vermin to their doorsteps, and robs law abiding citizens of their hard earned money. And I'm going give a Northern Ireland perspective won't be a big surprise to anybody, but it is important that we put on record where we are. The Northern Ireland Environmental Stats Report confirms that public anger um, has reached a boiling point. A staggering 73% of citizens are deeply concerned about our environment. And for the first time ever, a dumping and littering has officially overtaken air and water pollution as a single greatest environmental anxiety for households in Northern Ireland.
Sitting at some 34% of respondents. I drove up. When I'm at home, I live in Greyabbey, so main town is my my office. I drive up and down that road, uh, 2 to 3 times a day, maybe more. But the point I'm going to make is that people litter out there. KFC or McDonald's, their sandwiches or whatever. They're out the window and they're in there and they're usually hidden in the grass until the grass is cut.
Mr. chairman, when the grass is cut, guess what?This litter has been lying for maybe six months suddenly becomes accessible. National Trust announced today they're out after the council to try and do something. But we have a beautiful nation. Recent figures released by the. That almost 340 major illegal dumping sites were actively investigated in Northern Ireland over the past year alone. There's an epidemic. Um, my constituency crosses two council areas, Ards and North Down, uh, but may also the other one that I represent partially Newry, Mourne Down, they're suffering some of the worst littering.
They have some 31 major investigated illegal waste sites. Um and that's not the count that matters is the the honourable lady referred to. I mean it's one of those things you don't take your matters down to the dump. You throw it along the the the the lay bys and the roads of the, of the Ards and the Ards Peninsula. Um they don't count the, the black, the black bins full of rotting house, uh, household waste abandoned in the coastal paths of Bangor or the rural lanes of the Ards Peninsula.
Every single week local councils are forced to divert immense resources resources just to clean up these waste cowboys. Ni Northern Ireland has spent some half a million turning up illegal sites just in the past period of time. I'm very happy to you.
10:06
Speaker 13
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Speaker 13
Very kind in giving away a few honor to interview the honourable gentleman the other way around. Uh. Like him, Flytipping is a big issue in my constituency. In Carmunnock, for example, there's frequently flytipping around the cemetery, but I wondered if you would agree with me that part of the problem with tackling this is a lack of proper funding for local government. So in Glasgow, for example, the Scottish Government have not properly funded Glasgow City Council. And would you agree with me that to really tackle this, it can only be with resourcing of local government?
10:07
Speaker 12
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Speaker 12
I certainly do, and I thank him for that intervention. It is a, I believe, a chairman. Across Northern Ireland we see fewer than six successful legal dumping prosecutions a year. Criminal fly tippers are treating minor fixed penalties as nothing more than a business expense. This must change. We need to back our local authorities in Ards and North down with the statutory teeth that they need. If you're caught destroying a residential neighborhood with illegal waste, the should have the power to crush your vehicle and publicly.
Name and shame. Our communities deserve clean, safe and dignified places to raise their families. It is time to stop mollycoddling these criminals, clean up our streets, restore pride to our residential areas of Northern Ireland and indeed this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a whole. I support the Honourable Lady's comments. I look forward to the Minister's response and the other contributions as well. Thank you. Yeah.
Name and shame. Our communities deserve clean, safe and dignified places to raise their families. It is time to stop mollycoddling these criminals, clean up our streets, restore pride to our residential areas of Northern Ireland and indeed this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a whole. I support the Honourable Lady's comments. I look forward to the Minister's response and the other contributions as well. Thank you. Yeah.
10:08
10:08
10:08
Speaker 14
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Speaker 14
I'd like to start by thanking my honourable friend for the debate and her excellent speech, where she outlined all of the issues that are facing our residents with fly tipping. Mr. Stringer, nothing makes me more fed up and deflated than walking around the community where I live and raise my kids, and seeing litters and piles of rubbish everywhere. Fly tipping is a blight on my city. Portsmouth is a beautiful place, yet a few lazy and selfish criminals can cause such enormous damage and make my city look a mess.
I've been contacted by countless residents about illegal waste dumping across my constituency. Commercial waste has been dumped behind businesses in North End, attracting rats and harming legitimate local shops and the work they serve the community. This is not just a low level issue, nor is it a cosmetic issue. It is serious because fly tipping puts my constituents at risk. These piles of rubbish create environmental hazards, increased fire risk and endanger public health. Unfortunately, the problem has been made worse by the failure of my Liberal Democrat Council, Portsmouth City Council, to act effectively to use all of the levers available to them, be that swifter collections, use of CCTV or drones.
Also number plate recognition and crushing of vehicles, and basically taking some ownership and accountability instead of the sloping shoulders they consist of, consistently say not on our land. I'd like to give you some examples. Outside the charity bins near Cosham High Street, piles of rubbish bags and mattresses regularly accumulate. The council puts up notices saying it's aware of the problem and remove the waste as soon as possible. Yet fines are rarely enforced and offenders are rarely identified, so it's little surprise that people just continue to use this site as their own personal tip because there's no consequences.
I've also dealt with cases where mattresses have been dumped beside the motorway, where responsibility is shared between national highways and the council, and even when number plates have been captured on camera, enforcement action has not followed. This is not good enough. Near my office in Copnor, four courts are regularly used as dumping grounds. The council often act only after repeated reports and even when the waste is presenting a real fire hazard. One constituent, Tracey, said to me, the frustrations. I'm often wonder why I bother to pay my council tax when all I walk past is fly tipping, rubbish, dirty toiletries on my dog walks.
This is not what anyone wants to see when they leave their homes. Every pile of rubbish sends a message that nobody cares. It leaves residents feeling angry, frustrated and disheartened. And I want to take an opportunity, like my other honourable friends, to thank those volunteers and groups who do help clear up our streets the litter pickers, the shoreline cleaners and the generally brilliant, hard working people across my city. I hope that Portsmouth City Council listens to this debate and understands the impact that failing to tackle fly tipping is having on ordinary residence.
It's time to raise the game. The council must remove waste more quickly so sites do not attract further dumping, and it must properly investigate and penalise offenders. And it must also look to support initiatives that enable people to dump their larger items swiftly and cheaply. I'm proud to be part of a Labour government that's launched the toughest ever crackdown on waste crime, and I'm pleased to see that Labour's Waste crime action plan will require fly tippers to join up. Clean up squads on the streets they have trashed because they should take responsibility.
They will also look to set penalties on points of driving licences, and repeat offenders could lose their vehicles. This, Mr. Stringer sends a clear message to you to to the people doing this. You mess up our streets and you will clean up our streets. There are consequences with your time and your money. And it's not just individuals we're targeting the organised criminal gangs behind illegal waste and set sites. With £45 million of new investment from the Environment Agency, this job of cleaning up and taking pride in our streets has started.
But there's much more to be done. I am proud this government is taking it seriously and is leading by example and using every available power to crack down on waste crime. And I hope that Portsmouth City Council takes notes and gives this daily nuisance the attention it deserves, so residents can once again take pride and value in their neighbourhoods.
I've been contacted by countless residents about illegal waste dumping across my constituency. Commercial waste has been dumped behind businesses in North End, attracting rats and harming legitimate local shops and the work they serve the community. This is not just a low level issue, nor is it a cosmetic issue. It is serious because fly tipping puts my constituents at risk. These piles of rubbish create environmental hazards, increased fire risk and endanger public health. Unfortunately, the problem has been made worse by the failure of my Liberal Democrat Council, Portsmouth City Council, to act effectively to use all of the levers available to them, be that swifter collections, use of CCTV or drones.
Also number plate recognition and crushing of vehicles, and basically taking some ownership and accountability instead of the sloping shoulders they consist of, consistently say not on our land. I'd like to give you some examples. Outside the charity bins near Cosham High Street, piles of rubbish bags and mattresses regularly accumulate. The council puts up notices saying it's aware of the problem and remove the waste as soon as possible. Yet fines are rarely enforced and offenders are rarely identified, so it's little surprise that people just continue to use this site as their own personal tip because there's no consequences.
I've also dealt with cases where mattresses have been dumped beside the motorway, where responsibility is shared between national highways and the council, and even when number plates have been captured on camera, enforcement action has not followed. This is not good enough. Near my office in Copnor, four courts are regularly used as dumping grounds. The council often act only after repeated reports and even when the waste is presenting a real fire hazard. One constituent, Tracey, said to me, the frustrations. I'm often wonder why I bother to pay my council tax when all I walk past is fly tipping, rubbish, dirty toiletries on my dog walks.
This is not what anyone wants to see when they leave their homes. Every pile of rubbish sends a message that nobody cares. It leaves residents feeling angry, frustrated and disheartened. And I want to take an opportunity, like my other honourable friends, to thank those volunteers and groups who do help clear up our streets the litter pickers, the shoreline cleaners and the generally brilliant, hard working people across my city. I hope that Portsmouth City Council listens to this debate and understands the impact that failing to tackle fly tipping is having on ordinary residence.
It's time to raise the game. The council must remove waste more quickly so sites do not attract further dumping, and it must properly investigate and penalise offenders. And it must also look to support initiatives that enable people to dump their larger items swiftly and cheaply. I'm proud to be part of a Labour government that's launched the toughest ever crackdown on waste crime, and I'm pleased to see that Labour's Waste crime action plan will require fly tippers to join up. Clean up squads on the streets they have trashed because they should take responsibility.
They will also look to set penalties on points of driving licences, and repeat offenders could lose their vehicles. This, Mr. Stringer sends a clear message to you to to the people doing this. You mess up our streets and you will clean up our streets. There are consequences with your time and your money. And it's not just individuals we're targeting the organised criminal gangs behind illegal waste and set sites. With £45 million of new investment from the Environment Agency, this job of cleaning up and taking pride in our streets has started.
But there's much more to be done. I am proud this government is taking it seriously and is leading by example and using every available power to crack down on waste crime. And I hope that Portsmouth City Council takes notes and gives this daily nuisance the attention it deserves, so residents can once again take pride and value in their neighbourhoods.
10:12
Speaker 7
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Speaker 7
I want to first thank my honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for securing this very important debate on an issue that affects almost everybody in this room. The Waste Crime Action Plan put forward by this government contains several promising measures to tackle persistent. The persistent issue of fly in our communities, and I welcome the additional £45 million allocated to the Environment Agency for Waste Crime Enforcement, which I believe will go a long way to strengthening investigations and addressing the problem at its source. However, I do believe that the measures proposed could go further because residents like mine in Broxtowe have reported that not only is rubbish being left in the alleyway behind their property.
It's also been thrown over their fence and left in their garden. And after reporting the incident, they discovered that as the landlord owner, they were responsible for clearing the waste themselves as well as the associated costs. And I'm sure we will all agree that just cannot be right. Victims of fly tipping should not be left to bear the cost of the crime committed against them. Yet this widespread injustice continues across the country. Chair, the legal framework already allows for significant penalties, including unlimited fines, vehicle seizures and even custodial sentences.
However, these powers are too rarely enforced. In fact, despite over 1.26 million recorded incidents, enforcement action remains astoundingly low. And according to Defra, less than 0.2% of perpetrators have enforcement action taken against them. My residents in Stapleford, who live in an area that has a communal garden space, have repeatedly raised concerns about waste being dumped in that area, and the council continues to clear it. Yet time and time again, the cycle persists because those responsible are not being held to account.
The core issue here is that without resources to properly investigate, enforcement action cannot be taken and therefore we will never, ever tackle the root cause of fly tipping. I urge the Minister to consider further resources for local authorities that will allow them to form fly tipping enforcement teams, who will be able to sufficiently investigate instances of fly tipping so that strong enforcement action can be taken. And this wouldn't just be to clear the ways, but also to pursue offenders and recover the costs. I hope the minister will also consider stronger measures to ensure offenders are held to account in instances where they are identified, so that they not only face fines, but are required to cover the full cost of clearance and disposal, therefore removing the burden from victims.
It's also been thrown over their fence and left in their garden. And after reporting the incident, they discovered that as the landlord owner, they were responsible for clearing the waste themselves as well as the associated costs. And I'm sure we will all agree that just cannot be right. Victims of fly tipping should not be left to bear the cost of the crime committed against them. Yet this widespread injustice continues across the country. Chair, the legal framework already allows for significant penalties, including unlimited fines, vehicle seizures and even custodial sentences.
However, these powers are too rarely enforced. In fact, despite over 1.26 million recorded incidents, enforcement action remains astoundingly low. And according to Defra, less than 0.2% of perpetrators have enforcement action taken against them. My residents in Stapleford, who live in an area that has a communal garden space, have repeatedly raised concerns about waste being dumped in that area, and the council continues to clear it. Yet time and time again, the cycle persists because those responsible are not being held to account.
The core issue here is that without resources to properly investigate, enforcement action cannot be taken and therefore we will never, ever tackle the root cause of fly tipping. I urge the Minister to consider further resources for local authorities that will allow them to form fly tipping enforcement teams, who will be able to sufficiently investigate instances of fly tipping so that strong enforcement action can be taken. And this wouldn't just be to clear the ways, but also to pursue offenders and recover the costs. I hope the minister will also consider stronger measures to ensure offenders are held to account in instances where they are identified, so that they not only face fines, but are required to cover the full cost of clearance and disposal, therefore removing the burden from victims.
10:14
Speaker 16
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Speaker 16
It's a pleasure to serve under your chair, Mr. Stringer. We've heard some meaningful contributions so far and I thank the honourable member. My honourable friend, for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for giving us the opportunity to both praise our communities for the extremely hard work they are putting into our areas, but also to call out the situation that has got us here. In my constituency of North West Leicestershire, I am proud to have some incredibly dedicated litter picking groups. Their commitment to keeping our towns and surrounding areas clean is amazing, but it should not be necessary.
I want to thank a number of them today. The locally known Belton Sam. The work of Coalville Can and their litter pick of Coalville. The regular picks, including those in Hugglescote and Market Street in Ashby de la Zouch. There are so many more of those who help from a much wider area that travel to litter pick across Leicestershire, including my good friends Gibbo and Bob. The amount of fly tips they are reporting, they say to me, are increasing and they've also pointed out that they've also seen an increase in the amount of litter that's been dropped in their local communities.
And for this speech, I reached out to Charlie Hosker, a constituent and member of Castle Donington Litter Wombles. Charlie said fly tipping affects everyone who lives nearby. It's an eyesore, can attract even more rubbish and it's a danger to wildlife and often leaves local people feeling ignored, very frustrated when they see nothing done about it. For me, it's disheartening to see areas that should be enjoyed by residents, walkers, cyclists and families covered in waste. I myself have been a personal regular litter picker over the years and have to agree with Charlie's words.
It's now our job as their representatives to back them with action. Does the Minister agree with me that those responsible should should be able to deal with those who commit those acts of fly tipping, and not with the communities forced to clean them up. And I welcome the measures already announced in the Waste Crime Action Plan, because the scale of this issue is significant. Across the East Midlands alone, there were around 96,000 flytipping incidents in a single year. My own council and North West Leicestershire have dealt with about 700, so two every single day.
And nationally the picture is worsening, with over 1.2 million incidents recorded across England in 2425 and 9% increase in just one year. And of course, those figures do not even include the waste dumped on private land, where landowners are often bare to shoulder the costs themselves. I work for housing association for many years, and fly tipping was a huge financial burden on the association. All the frustration of the highway, where there is often confusion about who is responsible. Is it the district, the county or national highways?We have hotspots all over North West Leicestershire, the A40 two and the A4 53, just to name two.
They are gateways into my constituency that they're just too dangerous for volunteers. And you have to question why this should be left to volunteers. And there's no clear approach. Often led by authorities. Could the minister please outline the cross authority work that's been done?So the gateways to our communities are highways are not forgotten under somebody else's responsibility. We owe it to Carly and the Litter Wombles across the country. That and for every community volunteer to match their commitment to action from this House and.
I want to thank a number of them today. The locally known Belton Sam. The work of Coalville Can and their litter pick of Coalville. The regular picks, including those in Hugglescote and Market Street in Ashby de la Zouch. There are so many more of those who help from a much wider area that travel to litter pick across Leicestershire, including my good friends Gibbo and Bob. The amount of fly tips they are reporting, they say to me, are increasing and they've also pointed out that they've also seen an increase in the amount of litter that's been dropped in their local communities.
And for this speech, I reached out to Charlie Hosker, a constituent and member of Castle Donington Litter Wombles. Charlie said fly tipping affects everyone who lives nearby. It's an eyesore, can attract even more rubbish and it's a danger to wildlife and often leaves local people feeling ignored, very frustrated when they see nothing done about it. For me, it's disheartening to see areas that should be enjoyed by residents, walkers, cyclists and families covered in waste. I myself have been a personal regular litter picker over the years and have to agree with Charlie's words.
It's now our job as their representatives to back them with action. Does the Minister agree with me that those responsible should should be able to deal with those who commit those acts of fly tipping, and not with the communities forced to clean them up. And I welcome the measures already announced in the Waste Crime Action Plan, because the scale of this issue is significant. Across the East Midlands alone, there were around 96,000 flytipping incidents in a single year. My own council and North West Leicestershire have dealt with about 700, so two every single day.
And nationally the picture is worsening, with over 1.2 million incidents recorded across England in 2425 and 9% increase in just one year. And of course, those figures do not even include the waste dumped on private land, where landowners are often bare to shoulder the costs themselves. I work for housing association for many years, and fly tipping was a huge financial burden on the association. All the frustration of the highway, where there is often confusion about who is responsible. Is it the district, the county or national highways?We have hotspots all over North West Leicestershire, the A40 two and the A4 53, just to name two.
They are gateways into my constituency that they're just too dangerous for volunteers. And you have to question why this should be left to volunteers. And there's no clear approach. Often led by authorities. Could the minister please outline the cross authority work that's been done?So the gateways to our communities are highways are not forgotten under somebody else's responsibility. We owe it to Carly and the Litter Wombles across the country. That and for every community volunteer to match their commitment to action from this House and.
10:17
Speaker 17
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Speaker 17
Serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Stringer. I congratulate my honourable friend for great Grimsby and Cleethorpes in securing this important debate. The. Scotland is not immune to fly tipping, which is a negative, which has a significant and often underestimated impact on our communities, affecting not only the physical environment but also residents mental health and sense of wellbeing. In truth, it is a serious criminal act that damages our streets and neighborhoods and places a growing demand on already overstretched local authority cleansing departments budgets.
There have been incidents where rogue traders lower consumers with cheap cash only rates to clear household waste, only to illegally dump it on our roadside, our countryside and laybys to avoid paying the commercial fees. I've seen first hand the impact of fly tipping in my home town and across my constituency. Furniture and mattresses and even drug paraphernalia dumped on public footpaths, on street corners and even at children's play park. Residents complain of waste piling up in the streets, bringing their area down, and they cannot understand why the local authority fails to keep on top of this scourge on our communities.
I know local councils are trying, but they are dealing with the financial hand. Have been dealt amidst some of the severest cuts to local government since devolution. Budgets have been cut in real terms year after year and as a result, Scottish councils are merely managing decline across our communities, with enforcement staff being stretched ever thinner. Put plainly, cuts to councils are cuts to our communities. Accumulated waste can make our neighbourhood feel neglected and unsafe, contributing to stress, anxiety and a decline in community pride.
When public spaces are repeatedly polluted, it can foster feelings of frustration and helplessness amongst residents, particularly if the issue is persistent and slow to be addressed. Take East Ayrshire Council, for example. The figures speak for themselves. Between 20 1920 and 2122, the council recorded over 2500 flytipping incidents, ranking 13th out of 32 Scottish councils and more recently the 2425 data shows over 4500 incidents reported in the authority, which demonstrates a huge issue. And it's getting worse. It does not help when access to the local tip are by appointment only.
A cost cutting saving measure. But when local. When legal disposal becomes harder, the risk is that illegal disposal increases due to very low prosecution and penalty rates. 50% of Scottish local authorities believe enforcement is not effective and there is no consistency across agencies. And in Scotland. Since 2019, there have been over 280,000 incidents reported, with only 3300 fines issued, meaning only a tiny proportion of offenders face any consequences. Proving this is a system that lacks credible deterrence and that needs to change.
I would like to put on record my thanks to all the volunteer litter pickers who play a vital and uplifting role in strengthening our communities, by bringing people together through a shared purpose and pride in their surroundings. Their efforts not only improve the physical appearance of local areas, but also send a powerful message that people care, inspiring others to take responsibility and respect public spaces. Their efforts are commendable, but they should not be necessary. There is no excuse for fly tipping.
There have been incidents where rogue traders lower consumers with cheap cash only rates to clear household waste, only to illegally dump it on our roadside, our countryside and laybys to avoid paying the commercial fees. I've seen first hand the impact of fly tipping in my home town and across my constituency. Furniture and mattresses and even drug paraphernalia dumped on public footpaths, on street corners and even at children's play park. Residents complain of waste piling up in the streets, bringing their area down, and they cannot understand why the local authority fails to keep on top of this scourge on our communities.
I know local councils are trying, but they are dealing with the financial hand. Have been dealt amidst some of the severest cuts to local government since devolution. Budgets have been cut in real terms year after year and as a result, Scottish councils are merely managing decline across our communities, with enforcement staff being stretched ever thinner. Put plainly, cuts to councils are cuts to our communities. Accumulated waste can make our neighbourhood feel neglected and unsafe, contributing to stress, anxiety and a decline in community pride.
When public spaces are repeatedly polluted, it can foster feelings of frustration and helplessness amongst residents, particularly if the issue is persistent and slow to be addressed. Take East Ayrshire Council, for example. The figures speak for themselves. Between 20 1920 and 2122, the council recorded over 2500 flytipping incidents, ranking 13th out of 32 Scottish councils and more recently the 2425 data shows over 4500 incidents reported in the authority, which demonstrates a huge issue. And it's getting worse. It does not help when access to the local tip are by appointment only.
A cost cutting saving measure. But when local. When legal disposal becomes harder, the risk is that illegal disposal increases due to very low prosecution and penalty rates. 50% of Scottish local authorities believe enforcement is not effective and there is no consistency across agencies. And in Scotland. Since 2019, there have been over 280,000 incidents reported, with only 3300 fines issued, meaning only a tiny proportion of offenders face any consequences. Proving this is a system that lacks credible deterrence and that needs to change.
I would like to put on record my thanks to all the volunteer litter pickers who play a vital and uplifting role in strengthening our communities, by bringing people together through a shared purpose and pride in their surroundings. Their efforts not only improve the physical appearance of local areas, but also send a powerful message that people care, inspiring others to take responsibility and respect public spaces. Their efforts are commendable, but they should not be necessary. There is no excuse for fly tipping.
10:20
Speaker 18
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Speaker 18
Thank you. It's a pleasure to see you in the chair, as always. And I'd like to pass on my thanks to the honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for securing this debate, because it really. This issue of fly tipping really does affect every community in this country, for better or for worse. And in my constituency of Stevenage, we are the country's first post-war new town. And that's great. You know, our forefathers and mothers planned a great new town, but it contains many, many green spaces and woods.
Between residential developments. And I've also got four villages in my constituency Knebworth, Codicote, Datchworth and Aston, and each of them has similar issues to the town of Stevenage. Now, most of us are rightly proud of our communities. There are a few people, not necessarily from our communities who recall that, and there are many of us who go out week in, week out to clean up our streets. We have our own Stevenage Wombles and just like across the country, they do sterling work and I've joined them in the old town in Stevenage.
We also have in my town, the Stevenage Labour Party, has our own action team goes out once a month and we do our bit. We go in those woods, we clear it out. But do you know what?Um. It's sometimes an impossible task. And you try trying to move a fridge with a few volunteers. It's just not possible. We found suitcases with things in there, which I can't possibly mention here today. Um, and that is just not acceptable.
Now people are reporting that, um, just yesterday on one of our Stevenage Facebook groups, um, a diligent citizen, um, spotted a, an address of a TV licence letter there and it was reported straight away. And I know our council will take firm and effective action on that, but my council is dealing with some 3000 reported flytipping incidents a year, spending more than £1.6 million. Now, some members have talked about funding and yes, funding is important and we're fortunate. In Stevenage this Labour government has increased our funding by 9% in the last year and that's great.
Um, but it needs to be matched up with the powers. So I'm also grateful to this government for its waste crime action plan. And we've heard of some of those measures fully support that clean up squads. Um taking away driving licences. But I would ask the minister, how are we going to monitor this as a government, because it's going to vary across the country, is it not?And what's potential measures would the Minister have in mind to to go further?My hon.
Friend for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes set out some interesting ideas, which I think we should follow up, because it can't just be for the councils to do this. We do need private landlords on this. We do need to crack down on the gangs and get get the police involved. So there's a lot more we need to do. Um, but for now, I think it's right that all of us in this place should place on record our thanks for all those in our communities who will not let their, their streets and their green spaces be blighted by the scourge.
So I'm glad action has been taken and I only call for more.
Between residential developments. And I've also got four villages in my constituency Knebworth, Codicote, Datchworth and Aston, and each of them has similar issues to the town of Stevenage. Now, most of us are rightly proud of our communities. There are a few people, not necessarily from our communities who recall that, and there are many of us who go out week in, week out to clean up our streets. We have our own Stevenage Wombles and just like across the country, they do sterling work and I've joined them in the old town in Stevenage.
We also have in my town, the Stevenage Labour Party, has our own action team goes out once a month and we do our bit. We go in those woods, we clear it out. But do you know what?Um. It's sometimes an impossible task. And you try trying to move a fridge with a few volunteers. It's just not possible. We found suitcases with things in there, which I can't possibly mention here today. Um, and that is just not acceptable.
Now people are reporting that, um, just yesterday on one of our Stevenage Facebook groups, um, a diligent citizen, um, spotted a, an address of a TV licence letter there and it was reported straight away. And I know our council will take firm and effective action on that, but my council is dealing with some 3000 reported flytipping incidents a year, spending more than £1.6 million. Now, some members have talked about funding and yes, funding is important and we're fortunate. In Stevenage this Labour government has increased our funding by 9% in the last year and that's great.
Um, but it needs to be matched up with the powers. So I'm also grateful to this government for its waste crime action plan. And we've heard of some of those measures fully support that clean up squads. Um taking away driving licences. But I would ask the minister, how are we going to monitor this as a government, because it's going to vary across the country, is it not?And what's potential measures would the Minister have in mind to to go further?My hon.
Friend for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes set out some interesting ideas, which I think we should follow up, because it can't just be for the councils to do this. We do need private landlords on this. We do need to crack down on the gangs and get get the police involved. So there's a lot more we need to do. Um, but for now, I think it's right that all of us in this place should place on record our thanks for all those in our communities who will not let their, their streets and their green spaces be blighted by the scourge.
So I'm glad action has been taken and I only call for more.
10:24
Speaker 19
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Speaker 19
Thank you chair. It's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Stringer. And can I also thank the member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for securing this incredibly important debate. I'd like to pay tribute to the South Park Users Group in Ilford South, who come rain or shine, dedicate their time to keep our parks and streets clean through regular community litter picks. I'd also like to put on record my appreciation for the River Roding Trust, who collectively cleaned up 200 bags of rubbish from the River Roding.
Picking up the slack where Thames Water and the Environment Agency should have acted. I commend them for their dedication to ensure residents of Ilford South live in a cleaner and safer environment. Fly tipping is an issue. It's a scourge that repeatedly comes up in conversations with residents. Not long ago, recently, I visited a local school where children as young as ten interrogated me about the the scourge of fly tipping that blights our area. The fly tippers may think that they are invisible, may think that they can dump their waste and get away with it.
But fly tipping is one of the most visible crimes in our communities, and when people see it on their way to work on the school run while walking their dog, it drains away. Local pride chips away at the social trust, and sends a message that our streets, parks and rivers do not matter.
Picking up the slack where Thames Water and the Environment Agency should have acted. I commend them for their dedication to ensure residents of Ilford South live in a cleaner and safer environment. Fly tipping is an issue. It's a scourge that repeatedly comes up in conversations with residents. Not long ago, recently, I visited a local school where children as young as ten interrogated me about the the scourge of fly tipping that blights our area. The fly tippers may think that they are invisible, may think that they can dump their waste and get away with it.
But fly tipping is one of the most visible crimes in our communities, and when people see it on their way to work on the school run while walking their dog, it drains away. Local pride chips away at the social trust, and sends a message that our streets, parks and rivers do not matter.
10:25
10:25
10:25
Speaker 20
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Speaker 20
I thank my honourable friend for giving way. As a fellow East Londoner, we know that fly tipping is tackling our streets and blighting our neighbourhoods. It shows a real lack of respect for our communities. Does he agree with me that we should commend the government for putting the onus now on fly tippers, making them responsible?If you do the waste time, you do the. If you do the waste crime, you do the waste time making sure that they pay and they're responsible for cleaning up their own mess.
10:26
Speaker 19
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Speaker 19
Thank you for that intervention. I absolutely agree, and certainly I've been saying that for the last ten years. And the government finally acting is a real positive and we're going in the right direction. I was talking about um how um fly tipping blights our area. But the reverse is also true when a council removes it quickly, people feel it's okay to dump rubbish on our streets because someone will pick it up. So you can't win. Either way, it becomes a vicious cycle.
The more people see the local area as a dumping ground, the more some feel unable to fly. Tip meaning that unless fully tackled, the problem spirals. Working with local council, I know the decisive steps have been taken to tackle this blight on our communities. For instance, my local council maintains free bulky waste collection, removing the lame excuse for fly tipping. It's cheaper to pick up from people's doorsteps in a controlled manner than from the streets once it's been dumped. So Redbridge Council have carried on that policy and the wall of shame to approach an approach that has been adopted by other councils.
Naming and shaming. Exposing the waste cowboys who impose their mess on us. Um. Sending a clear message that this behaviour is unacceptable in Ilford South and those who fly tip on on our streets will be held accountable. And I welcome the government's decisive actions already to support local authorities battling with fly tipping, from expanding council powers to crushing vehicles of fly tippers are making offenders clean up the very streets and parks that they have ruined. But we need to go further to target the very worst offenders.
Councils need to be able to set larger maximum fines to deter serial fly tippers and to demonstrate that whilst fly tipping may seem inconsequential to them, it is one of their one of their worst forms of anti-social behaviour and. Things tough enforcement councils could and use extra revenue to fund detection.
The more people see the local area as a dumping ground, the more some feel unable to fly. Tip meaning that unless fully tackled, the problem spirals. Working with local council, I know the decisive steps have been taken to tackle this blight on our communities. For instance, my local council maintains free bulky waste collection, removing the lame excuse for fly tipping. It's cheaper to pick up from people's doorsteps in a controlled manner than from the streets once it's been dumped. So Redbridge Council have carried on that policy and the wall of shame to approach an approach that has been adopted by other councils.
Naming and shaming. Exposing the waste cowboys who impose their mess on us. Um. Sending a clear message that this behaviour is unacceptable in Ilford South and those who fly tip on on our streets will be held accountable. And I welcome the government's decisive actions already to support local authorities battling with fly tipping, from expanding council powers to crushing vehicles of fly tippers are making offenders clean up the very streets and parks that they have ruined. But we need to go further to target the very worst offenders.
Councils need to be able to set larger maximum fines to deter serial fly tippers and to demonstrate that whilst fly tipping may seem inconsequential to them, it is one of their one of their worst forms of anti-social behaviour and. Things tough enforcement councils could and use extra revenue to fund detection.
10:28
10:28
10:28
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
I'm going to now move on to call the front bench spokespeople. But before I do so, can I remind. The honourable members there are often good reasons for being late to meetings, but it is a courtesy both to the chair and other members participating in the debate. If a note is put in to explain why. Sarah Dyke.
10:29
Speaker 21
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Speaker 21
Mr. speaker. A pleasure to serve with you and the chair this morning. I'd like to thank the honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for bringing forward this important debate. Last year, the government estimated that there were 1.26 million fly tipping incidents across England, with waste crime costing the economy more than £1 billion a year. These incidents represent an upward trend, with 3000 incidents reported to Somerset Council alone. But these figures exclude incidents on private land cases involving large scale illegal dumping.
And, as is always the case, there are a substantial number of waste crimes that are never recorded. Mr. Stringer, I wanted to recognise the work being done in Somerset to tackle this problem head on. Somerset Council's Recycle More initiative handles over 170 000 tonnes of household waste every year. Major infrastructure investment in 2020, upgraded facilities and introduced more frequent collections and Somerset's flexible plastics trial now concluded. However, demonstrated clearly how targeted local innovation can reduce fly tipping in residential areas. That trial is proof of what is possible.
Yet without sustained national funding to back local initiatives like this, progress stalls, the will is there, Mr. Stringer, but the resources are not waste. Crime has been dubbed the new narcotics by the former chair of the Environment Agency. This simply cannot go on. We must recognize this for what it is. It's a national emergency. We need to hold the perpetrators of these crimes to account. This is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to clean up illegal waste sites, catch those that are responsible, and finally get a handle on the true extent of this environmental disaster.
Because organised crime gangs are making millions of pounds through illegal waste activity, without any regard for local communities, public health or the environment. Earlier this year, a spotlight was thrown onto the issue when an estimated 21,000 tonnes of illegal waste was found at a site near Callington in my hon. Friend's constituency of Bicester and Woodstock, and I'd like to thank him for his tireless campaigning on this issue, which led to more than 400 lorry loads of waste being removed from that, that site alone. But Mr.
Stringer, there are at least 11 other identified similar sites across England demonstrating the scale of these organised crime networks. We're not just talking about a nuisance. This is. This is waste crime on an industrial level. And unfortunately, it's clear that the Environment Agency is not currently equipped to tackle it. Currently, enforcement responsibilities are dispersed across multiple agencies with no single body explicitly accountable for both prosecution and clearing up waste crime. Local authorities and the Environment Agency do have powers, but not duties to enforce, thus weakening their overall enforcement effectiveness.
Now, the Minister for nature made the point well in a debate regarding the Kidlington site earlier this year, highlighting the lack of a coherent body to which to report waste crime and that if citizens are not clear on who to report to, they are likely to do nothing. Now the Environment Agency is responsible for large scale incidents where waste crime contains hazardous hazardous materials, whereas smaller incidents are handled by local authorities unless it's on private land. Of course, where councils handle prosecution but do not carry responsibility for clearing up the mess.
So the responsibility is on members of the public to be aware of complicated regulations and then report it to the correct body. And given the clear under-reporting of crime, this is simply not happening effectively. So this is why the Liberal Democrats have called for a single national hotline for waste crime to improve reporting, mapping and detection because those responsible must be caught. Now, Mr. Stringer, currently, only 31% of incidents are investigated, and over half of those investigations result in no further action, with only 13 custodial sentences handed down in England in 20 2025.
As the National Rural Crime Network's report into waste crime makes it clear, the legal framework is not the problem and limited fines can be levied. Vehicles can be seized and prison sentences of up to five years can be handed out. But these powers are rarely used and in addition, there is an enforcement postcode lottery. Depending on where the offence occurs. The recent House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee inquiry concluded that serious organised crime is significantly under prioritised, despite its environmental, economic and social impacts.
It was therefore disappointing that the government rejected their recommendation for an independent review into the entire waste crime system. The Liberal Democrats once again call on the minister to reverse this decision, come forward with a review and set out a government strategy to tackle illegal dumping, including measurable metrics and targets. The Environment Agency and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime must also be adequately resourced to tackle waste crime. Now it's impossible, Mr. Stringer, to talk about enforcement with all without also addressing the conditions that allow this criminal market to thrive in the first place.
I believe that we must review the current household waste recycling system, which in part creates a market for criminal criminal gangs to exploit further decades of local authority. Budget cuts, have eaten away at local services, with many now placing charges on the usage of household waste recycling centres. Now, this is currently an issue facing some residents in my constituency because Dorset Council's recent decision to charge Somerset residents an £8.50 fee to use the Dorset Council Household Recycling Centre in Sherborne has forced residents in Milborne Port in Henstridge, Charlton, Horethorne, Corton, Denham, Temple, Combe and some of the surrounding areas to make an up to a 20 mile, 28 mile round trip to access a free household waste recycling facility in Somerset.
So in addition to increasing the environmental impact of residents waste disposal, this new charge could risk pushing people to consider illegal disposal of their waste and criminal criminal gangs know it and are ready to exploit that temptation. Mr. Stringer, I brought a petition to Parliament on this matter earlier this year after it garnered significant local support. The solution is clear fix the recycling system or accept handling criminal gangs. A business opportunity. The choice is really that simple. The waste industry estimates that 35% of waste crime is committed by organised criminal groups, and there is reason to believe this figure is increasing.
The National Rural Crime Unit undertook a report to Defra on waste, crime and its links to wider rural crime, but this has not been published despite repeated requests. And so I ask once again, Will the Minister publish this report and show that the government is committed to tackling organised crime gangs operating in the countryside?Mr. Stringer Like a lot of rural crime, local police forces can struggle to deal with waste crime effectively due to the organised nature and the cross-border tactics deployed by criminals. Yet it falls short of the National Crime Agency responsibility, leaving criminal gangs a free rein to exploit.
So this is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for the National Crime Agency to take over investigations into illegal dumps in the most serious cases, and to improve coordination with local police forces. The new National Police Service, as announced in the King's Speech, will assume responsibility for serious organised crime operations, but we will wait to see how organised waste crime fits within this. Now, as I have previously raised my concerns about the government's lack of understanding about specific needs of rural communities on many occasions. But yet the Policing White Paper from January of this year made hardly any reference to rural crime.
In fact, only 619 police officers and staff were assigned to dedicated rural crime teams across 37 police forces in England and Wales in 2024, representing a paltry 0.4% of the workforce. Now in Somerset, there are only two, sometimes a couple more dedicated rural crime officers, covering more than 1300mi². So when crime strikes, rural communities know all too well what that actually means. In practice. A farmer in Long Sutton told me they were recently hit by a second break in. Within 12 months, thousands of pounds of equipment was stolen, but unsurprisingly, they received little meaningful police action.
This is not an isolated failure. It's what Under-resourcing looks like on the ground. So proper reforms are urgently required to increase both capability and capacity. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a Countryside Copper guarantee for properly resourced, dedicated rural crime teams or specialists to be embedded in every police force, and I hope the government will consider taking these proposals forward. So to conclude, Mr. Stringer, criminal gangs are running sophisticated multi cross-border operations and the only responsible response available to this is fragmented, fragmented agencies, under-resourced enforcement and powers that are almost never used.
The problem is not the law. Unlimited fines exist, five year sentences exist. They are simply not being applied. More penalties on the statute book will change nothing if no one is resourced to enforce them. What we need is coordination, accountability and the political will to treat this as the organised crime that it is. So I urge the Minister to show that this government is finally ready to do that.
And, as is always the case, there are a substantial number of waste crimes that are never recorded. Mr. Stringer, I wanted to recognise the work being done in Somerset to tackle this problem head on. Somerset Council's Recycle More initiative handles over 170 000 tonnes of household waste every year. Major infrastructure investment in 2020, upgraded facilities and introduced more frequent collections and Somerset's flexible plastics trial now concluded. However, demonstrated clearly how targeted local innovation can reduce fly tipping in residential areas. That trial is proof of what is possible.
Yet without sustained national funding to back local initiatives like this, progress stalls, the will is there, Mr. Stringer, but the resources are not waste. Crime has been dubbed the new narcotics by the former chair of the Environment Agency. This simply cannot go on. We must recognize this for what it is. It's a national emergency. We need to hold the perpetrators of these crimes to account. This is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to clean up illegal waste sites, catch those that are responsible, and finally get a handle on the true extent of this environmental disaster.
Because organised crime gangs are making millions of pounds through illegal waste activity, without any regard for local communities, public health or the environment. Earlier this year, a spotlight was thrown onto the issue when an estimated 21,000 tonnes of illegal waste was found at a site near Callington in my hon. Friend's constituency of Bicester and Woodstock, and I'd like to thank him for his tireless campaigning on this issue, which led to more than 400 lorry loads of waste being removed from that, that site alone. But Mr.
Stringer, there are at least 11 other identified similar sites across England demonstrating the scale of these organised crime networks. We're not just talking about a nuisance. This is. This is waste crime on an industrial level. And unfortunately, it's clear that the Environment Agency is not currently equipped to tackle it. Currently, enforcement responsibilities are dispersed across multiple agencies with no single body explicitly accountable for both prosecution and clearing up waste crime. Local authorities and the Environment Agency do have powers, but not duties to enforce, thus weakening their overall enforcement effectiveness.
Now, the Minister for nature made the point well in a debate regarding the Kidlington site earlier this year, highlighting the lack of a coherent body to which to report waste crime and that if citizens are not clear on who to report to, they are likely to do nothing. Now the Environment Agency is responsible for large scale incidents where waste crime contains hazardous hazardous materials, whereas smaller incidents are handled by local authorities unless it's on private land. Of course, where councils handle prosecution but do not carry responsibility for clearing up the mess.
So the responsibility is on members of the public to be aware of complicated regulations and then report it to the correct body. And given the clear under-reporting of crime, this is simply not happening effectively. So this is why the Liberal Democrats have called for a single national hotline for waste crime to improve reporting, mapping and detection because those responsible must be caught. Now, Mr. Stringer, currently, only 31% of incidents are investigated, and over half of those investigations result in no further action, with only 13 custodial sentences handed down in England in 20 2025.
As the National Rural Crime Network's report into waste crime makes it clear, the legal framework is not the problem and limited fines can be levied. Vehicles can be seized and prison sentences of up to five years can be handed out. But these powers are rarely used and in addition, there is an enforcement postcode lottery. Depending on where the offence occurs. The recent House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee inquiry concluded that serious organised crime is significantly under prioritised, despite its environmental, economic and social impacts.
It was therefore disappointing that the government rejected their recommendation for an independent review into the entire waste crime system. The Liberal Democrats once again call on the minister to reverse this decision, come forward with a review and set out a government strategy to tackle illegal dumping, including measurable metrics and targets. The Environment Agency and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime must also be adequately resourced to tackle waste crime. Now it's impossible, Mr. Stringer, to talk about enforcement with all without also addressing the conditions that allow this criminal market to thrive in the first place.
I believe that we must review the current household waste recycling system, which in part creates a market for criminal criminal gangs to exploit further decades of local authority. Budget cuts, have eaten away at local services, with many now placing charges on the usage of household waste recycling centres. Now, this is currently an issue facing some residents in my constituency because Dorset Council's recent decision to charge Somerset residents an £8.50 fee to use the Dorset Council Household Recycling Centre in Sherborne has forced residents in Milborne Port in Henstridge, Charlton, Horethorne, Corton, Denham, Temple, Combe and some of the surrounding areas to make an up to a 20 mile, 28 mile round trip to access a free household waste recycling facility in Somerset.
So in addition to increasing the environmental impact of residents waste disposal, this new charge could risk pushing people to consider illegal disposal of their waste and criminal criminal gangs know it and are ready to exploit that temptation. Mr. Stringer, I brought a petition to Parliament on this matter earlier this year after it garnered significant local support. The solution is clear fix the recycling system or accept handling criminal gangs. A business opportunity. The choice is really that simple. The waste industry estimates that 35% of waste crime is committed by organised criminal groups, and there is reason to believe this figure is increasing.
The National Rural Crime Unit undertook a report to Defra on waste, crime and its links to wider rural crime, but this has not been published despite repeated requests. And so I ask once again, Will the Minister publish this report and show that the government is committed to tackling organised crime gangs operating in the countryside?Mr. Stringer Like a lot of rural crime, local police forces can struggle to deal with waste crime effectively due to the organised nature and the cross-border tactics deployed by criminals. Yet it falls short of the National Crime Agency responsibility, leaving criminal gangs a free rein to exploit.
So this is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for the National Crime Agency to take over investigations into illegal dumps in the most serious cases, and to improve coordination with local police forces. The new National Police Service, as announced in the King's Speech, will assume responsibility for serious organised crime operations, but we will wait to see how organised waste crime fits within this. Now, as I have previously raised my concerns about the government's lack of understanding about specific needs of rural communities on many occasions. But yet the Policing White Paper from January of this year made hardly any reference to rural crime.
In fact, only 619 police officers and staff were assigned to dedicated rural crime teams across 37 police forces in England and Wales in 2024, representing a paltry 0.4% of the workforce. Now in Somerset, there are only two, sometimes a couple more dedicated rural crime officers, covering more than 1300mi². So when crime strikes, rural communities know all too well what that actually means. In practice. A farmer in Long Sutton told me they were recently hit by a second break in. Within 12 months, thousands of pounds of equipment was stolen, but unsurprisingly, they received little meaningful police action.
This is not an isolated failure. It's what Under-resourcing looks like on the ground. So proper reforms are urgently required to increase both capability and capacity. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a Countryside Copper guarantee for properly resourced, dedicated rural crime teams or specialists to be embedded in every police force, and I hope the government will consider taking these proposals forward. So to conclude, Mr. Stringer, criminal gangs are running sophisticated multi cross-border operations and the only responsible response available to this is fragmented, fragmented agencies, under-resourced enforcement and powers that are almost never used.
The problem is not the law. Unlimited fines exist, five year sentences exist. They are simply not being applied. More penalties on the statute book will change nothing if no one is resourced to enforce them. What we need is coordination, accountability and the political will to treat this as the organised crime that it is. So I urge the Minister to show that this government is finally ready to do that.
10:38
10:39
Speaker 9
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Speaker 9
Thank you, Mr. Stringer. It's a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. And can I thank the honourable member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for tabling this important debate. And we've heard many, many contributions today and talking about the impacts on local pride, the sense of belonging and, importantly, the mental health impacts, but uplifting. Pretty much everyone has spoken about the great work that volunteers do to actually tackle litter and fly tipping in their area. It seems that everyone has some Wombles in their in their area.
I'm not 100% sure of the collective noun for Wombles, but I think it might follow the wombat and it might be a wisdom wisdom of Wombles. But I'm very, very pleased to say that in Epping Forest we have the Loughton Town Council Wombles, but we. Um, very, very briefly, executive.
I'm not 100% sure of the collective noun for Wombles, but I think it might follow the wombat and it might be a wisdom wisdom of Wombles. But I'm very, very pleased to say that in Epping Forest we have the Loughton Town Council Wombles, but we. Um, very, very briefly, executive.
10:39
10:40
Speaker 9
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Speaker 9
I thank the honourable member for his intervention. We've heard great contributions from across the House today. Let me turn Mr. Stringer to some of the figures, because I believe that they speak for themselves. Councils in England dealt with 1.26 million fly tipping incidents in 2020 425. This was a 9% increase on the previous year, and both the fifth successive annual increase and amongst the highest figures on record. The majority of those incidents, 62%, involve household waste. The most common sources were not lorry loads from from organised criminals, although that is an issue that I will come to.
But car boots and small vans every day, domestic dumps across the country, our constituents have sadly become all too familiar with the sight of dumped bin bags, mattresses and white goods including fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers, and the effects are serious as well as the obvious awful environmental consequences and the effects on nature and wildlife. Fly tipping is a public health problem, as dumped waste attracts vermin, creates fire risk and can contaminate soil and local watercourses. The harm is not only physical anti-social behaviour like fly tipping, causes real anxiety and distress to residents who live with it.
Sadly, my constituents in Epping Forest are not immune to the blight of fly tipping and these harmful impacts, with many serious cases across our area caused by shameless criminals who should face the full extent of the law. Fly tipping threatens the precious wildlife and biodiversity that our Forest of Epping Forest is so privileged to enjoy. As a positive counter to this, I have been privileged to meet unsung heroes litter picking groups right across Epping Forest, including Waltham Abbey community Group and Parish Council, who selflessly give up their time to clean up our communities, as I've seen first hand, joining their litter picks.
However, the sights of copious numbers of discarded large nitrous oxide canisters used illegally for drug misuse and then chucked on the side of roads. For those who do the right thing to clear up is incredibly concerning. As I have raised in this House many times and with the minister just last week, any activity to clear up waste needs to address this as a priority for urban, rural and semi-rural communities alike. Please, can the minister outline what steps the government is taking to tackle this illegal use of nitrous oxide, and the subsequent discarding of dangerous canisters damaging our environment?The previous conservative government understood the scale of the Flytipping problem and the need for further action.
It increased the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for fly tipping from £400 to £1000, and established the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a multi-agency task force bringing together key stakeholders including the Environment Agency, the police, the National Crime Agency, British Transport Police, HMRC, National Fire Chiefs Council and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management. Through intelligence sharing and resource prioritisation, it has supported hundreds of operations, contributing to arrests. I am pleased that the current government is continuing. Continuing on with this, we conservatives also introduced several projects across England which sought to crack down on fly tipping in residential areas, including portable CCTV cameras to patrol and capture footage across Northumberland.
Anti-climb fencing to protect neighbourhood areas in Hyndburn and larger recycling bins in better locations in Mansfield. To ensure the public have access to correct disposal facilities. These projects had demonstrable positive effects in Durham, which received funding from the last government. The county council introduced educational bin stickers, permanent signage and installed CCTV onto existing lighting columns and as a result, Flytipping was cut by over 60%. In Hyndburn, installing the fencing and gates to prevent access to fly tipping hotspots saw fly tipping decreased by 100% in these areas in the following three months, and the council saved approximately £4,000 in waste removal and clean up costs over that period.
In addition, the conservative government passed the Landmark Environment Act in 2021, which laid the foundation for electronic waste tracking, which the current government is now implementing. And I had the opportunity to discuss this with the minister just last week as we passed a necessary secondary piece of legislation on this. Turning to the current government, the Minister will be aware that His Majesty's official opposition tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Act. Then Bill, which would have added points to driving licences for fly tipping.
This was a conservative manifesto commitment and is most welcome that the government has finally adopted this policy. Speaking of manifestos, the Labour manifesto included the commitment that fly tippers and vandals will be forced to clean up the mess they have created. However, I'm sure the minister will have had the same conversations that I have had with farmers and landowners about the issue of fly tipping on private property, where it is not the responsibility of the local authorities on public land where it tends to be. We've heard that from across the House today on private property.
The landowner, in many cases is being left to pay for sometimes thousands of pounds to clean up someone else's mess. To make the situation worse, sometimes the landowner may face landfill tax liabilities despite being the victim, not the perpetrator. Meanwhile, offenders frequently face little or no meaningful action. Once again, the figures speak for themselves. 9 in 10 members of the Country, Land and Business Association reported being targeted within the past year, with over three quarters suffering a significant financial impact, whilst stronger enforcement and prevention measures will help reduce incidents happening.
Can the Minister outline what support is available to landowners and farmers who are being particularly targeted?I would also like to touch on the fact that while fly tipping happens all over the country, some areas suffer more than others. The last government provided targeted investment to the areas most affected by fly tipping. Furthermore, not only does the very act of fly tipping vary geographically, so does the two. Does the rate of enforcement action only 31% of fly tipping incidents are investigated, with over half of those investigations resulting in no further action across England in 2020 425, there were just 13 custodial sentences for fly tipping offences.
The government has issued guidance to local councils, but the guidance is one thing and action is another. The Minister may be aware that the Countryside Alliance has called on the government to incentivise local authorities to use the enforcement powers available to them, and I would be interested to hear the Minister's thoughts on that particular suggestion. We are united in our across this House, in our shared desire to end fly tipping and to ensure that those who commit such a crime are punished appropriately. To do this, local authorities need the resources and tools, but more importantly, they need to use them.
We can do more to to tackle fly tipping, and I hope the government will come forward with ambitious proposals. To conclude. Mr. Stringer, it's been great today to see so many people from across the House talking about this issue, but very much what it means to their local community. And I think as a sense of optimism in terms of highlighting the great work that the local volunteers do in their area. So to conclude, I'd like to thank the great contributions from my honourable friends from Bromley and Biggin Hill, from Brigham Immingham, the honourable members for Gorton and Denton, Morecambe and Lonsdale, Birmingham, Perry Barr, Hexham, Strangford who I thank for his intervention.
Portsmouth, North Broxtowe, North West, Leicestershire, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Stevenage and Ilford South. And with that I will conclude Mr. Stringer.
But car boots and small vans every day, domestic dumps across the country, our constituents have sadly become all too familiar with the sight of dumped bin bags, mattresses and white goods including fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers, and the effects are serious as well as the obvious awful environmental consequences and the effects on nature and wildlife. Fly tipping is a public health problem, as dumped waste attracts vermin, creates fire risk and can contaminate soil and local watercourses. The harm is not only physical anti-social behaviour like fly tipping, causes real anxiety and distress to residents who live with it.
Sadly, my constituents in Epping Forest are not immune to the blight of fly tipping and these harmful impacts, with many serious cases across our area caused by shameless criminals who should face the full extent of the law. Fly tipping threatens the precious wildlife and biodiversity that our Forest of Epping Forest is so privileged to enjoy. As a positive counter to this, I have been privileged to meet unsung heroes litter picking groups right across Epping Forest, including Waltham Abbey community Group and Parish Council, who selflessly give up their time to clean up our communities, as I've seen first hand, joining their litter picks.
However, the sights of copious numbers of discarded large nitrous oxide canisters used illegally for drug misuse and then chucked on the side of roads. For those who do the right thing to clear up is incredibly concerning. As I have raised in this House many times and with the minister just last week, any activity to clear up waste needs to address this as a priority for urban, rural and semi-rural communities alike. Please, can the minister outline what steps the government is taking to tackle this illegal use of nitrous oxide, and the subsequent discarding of dangerous canisters damaging our environment?The previous conservative government understood the scale of the Flytipping problem and the need for further action.
It increased the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for fly tipping from £400 to £1000, and established the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a multi-agency task force bringing together key stakeholders including the Environment Agency, the police, the National Crime Agency, British Transport Police, HMRC, National Fire Chiefs Council and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management. Through intelligence sharing and resource prioritisation, it has supported hundreds of operations, contributing to arrests. I am pleased that the current government is continuing. Continuing on with this, we conservatives also introduced several projects across England which sought to crack down on fly tipping in residential areas, including portable CCTV cameras to patrol and capture footage across Northumberland.
Anti-climb fencing to protect neighbourhood areas in Hyndburn and larger recycling bins in better locations in Mansfield. To ensure the public have access to correct disposal facilities. These projects had demonstrable positive effects in Durham, which received funding from the last government. The county council introduced educational bin stickers, permanent signage and installed CCTV onto existing lighting columns and as a result, Flytipping was cut by over 60%. In Hyndburn, installing the fencing and gates to prevent access to fly tipping hotspots saw fly tipping decreased by 100% in these areas in the following three months, and the council saved approximately £4,000 in waste removal and clean up costs over that period.
In addition, the conservative government passed the Landmark Environment Act in 2021, which laid the foundation for electronic waste tracking, which the current government is now implementing. And I had the opportunity to discuss this with the minister just last week as we passed a necessary secondary piece of legislation on this. Turning to the current government, the Minister will be aware that His Majesty's official opposition tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Act. Then Bill, which would have added points to driving licences for fly tipping.
This was a conservative manifesto commitment and is most welcome that the government has finally adopted this policy. Speaking of manifestos, the Labour manifesto included the commitment that fly tippers and vandals will be forced to clean up the mess they have created. However, I'm sure the minister will have had the same conversations that I have had with farmers and landowners about the issue of fly tipping on private property, where it is not the responsibility of the local authorities on public land where it tends to be. We've heard that from across the House today on private property.
The landowner, in many cases is being left to pay for sometimes thousands of pounds to clean up someone else's mess. To make the situation worse, sometimes the landowner may face landfill tax liabilities despite being the victim, not the perpetrator. Meanwhile, offenders frequently face little or no meaningful action. Once again, the figures speak for themselves. 9 in 10 members of the Country, Land and Business Association reported being targeted within the past year, with over three quarters suffering a significant financial impact, whilst stronger enforcement and prevention measures will help reduce incidents happening.
Can the Minister outline what support is available to landowners and farmers who are being particularly targeted?I would also like to touch on the fact that while fly tipping happens all over the country, some areas suffer more than others. The last government provided targeted investment to the areas most affected by fly tipping. Furthermore, not only does the very act of fly tipping vary geographically, so does the two. Does the rate of enforcement action only 31% of fly tipping incidents are investigated, with over half of those investigations resulting in no further action across England in 2020 425, there were just 13 custodial sentences for fly tipping offences.
The government has issued guidance to local councils, but the guidance is one thing and action is another. The Minister may be aware that the Countryside Alliance has called on the government to incentivise local authorities to use the enforcement powers available to them, and I would be interested to hear the Minister's thoughts on that particular suggestion. We are united in our across this House, in our shared desire to end fly tipping and to ensure that those who commit such a crime are punished appropriately. To do this, local authorities need the resources and tools, but more importantly, they need to use them.
We can do more to to tackle fly tipping, and I hope the government will come forward with ambitious proposals. To conclude. Mr. Stringer, it's been great today to see so many people from across the House talking about this issue, but very much what it means to their local community. And I think as a sense of optimism in terms of highlighting the great work that the local volunteers do in their area. So to conclude, I'd like to thank the great contributions from my honourable friends from Bromley and Biggin Hill, from Brigham Immingham, the honourable members for Gorton and Denton, Morecambe and Lonsdale, Birmingham, Perry Barr, Hexham, Strangford who I thank for his intervention.
Portsmouth, North Broxtowe, North West, Leicestershire, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Stevenage and Ilford South. And with that I will conclude Mr. Stringer.
10:47
10:47
10:48
Speaker 15
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Speaker 15
Much indeed, Mr. Stringer. It's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today. And can I thank my hon. Friend. For Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes for securing this. Um, very well attended debate. Let me thank honourable members. Um across the House who've made these valuable points today. And let me start by saying this. It's it's great to hear from the opposition front frontbench spokespeople about everything that this government needs to do.
But let me just say that under the coalition government and the cuts that happened under that, the beginnings of this public squalor occurred. And under the, um, you know, the so-called big society of David Cameron, we didn't realise we were all going to have to become litter picking Womble troops, um, set up our own food banks to feed our communities and end up having to be lollipop. Um, crossing wardens as well because of the severe cuts that happened on their watch to local government. It's a fitting that we're having this debate under, at the at the beginning of London Climate Action Week, because everybody's environment starts at their front door.
It's not something that's out there that's in the oceans, that's in the forest. It is stuff that is literally in the streets where we live. And as the honourable lady for Morecambe and Lunesdale said, it is a matter of social justice. This is about environmental justice, but it is also about the poorest people bearing the consequences of this environmental crime. It is an epidemic that proliferated under the coalition and it became a pandemic from 2015. The failure to implement any new policy and the starvation of local government, which saw the local tips close, has led to this criminal activity and this waste crime epidemic.
So fly tipping scars our streets and parks, and it takes that pride away, but it also robs us as taxpayers in 2024, um to 20. 25 the financial year alone. Criminals, these waste criminals, they're not cowboys. They're criminals evaded at least £1 billion of landfill tax. So every fridge that's dumped, every little bit of, you know, kitchen stuff that's a refurb and is dumped. That has not gone to be disposed of correctly, either in landfill or incineration. So that is unacceptable.
We are determined to take back control of our streets, parks and countryside from these criminals. Since we came into office, the honourable gentleman talked about setting up the Joint Unit for Waste Crime. We have boosted the Environment Agency's enforcement budget for the current financial year by 50%, from £10 million to over £15 million over the next three years. We are giving the Environment Agency an additional £45 million, so that budget is going up from 10 million to 15 this year, and then it's going to go up to 30.
So we have trebled that budget. That is what we are doing. We are not doing action plans. We are putting our money where our mouth is, and that will mean more boots on the ground and more drones in the air. We have pursued major regulatory reforms and boosted the Joint Unit for waste Crime. Since this government came to power, the EA has stopped illegal waste activity. At over 1500 sites and has achieved 125 prosecutions, with ten people going to prison.
Crime Stoppers has launched a national campaign encouraging the public to play their part by anonymously reporting suspicious activity. By calling 0800 555111. And I do encourage all members here to amplify that campaign, which is running on social media at the moment. Our Waste crime action plan is the next step and it is a scale up. We are preventing illegal activity before it starts. Secondly, strengthening enforcement so offenders are caught and punished. And thirdly, cleaning up the most harmful sites.
So let me take each in turn first. Prevention. Stopping it means putting legislation through Parliament that will replace the outdated paper systems which again were neglected under the previous government with mandatory digital waste tracking. A single UK wide platform that will monitor waste movements in real time, and regulators will be able to spot diversion away from legitimate pathways and fraud, i.e. mis of waste, um at a much earlier stage in the chain, we've laid secondary legislation that will overhaul the regulation of the waste carriers, brokers and dealers systems so there'll be no more bovines registered as waste dealers.
We're moving from a light touch system into full environmental permitting. We are also removing widely abused waste permit exemptions on tyres, end of life vehicles and scrap metal. And we are tightening up on seven more waste permit exemptions as well. And we are also going after the tax avoiders. HMRC is expanding tax checks, tax check rules to the waste sector. So if your tax record is questionable, we will be asking you questions before renewing your licence. I'm going to make some progress on enforcement.
We are matching prevention with tougher enforcement and pursuing the criminals with every tool in the box. We are increasing the Environment Agency's budget. As I have mentioned, and we're giving them new police style powers to intervene earlier, disrupt, disrupt the criminals and bring them to justice before their illegal operations become established. So you've got to nip this in the bud when it happens. That's what we know is work. I will. I will finish my no.
I'm going to finish my point. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime is strengthening its hand. It is bringing together environmental watchdogs, police forces and the National Crime Agency to dismantle the serious organised crime networks that blight our communities. The penalties for waste crime must match the crime it causes and the carriers, brokers, dealers reform will increase penalties for offenders to up to five years in prison. But we also know that sometimes they're not they're not going to be prosecuted for environmental crime.
What they will be prosecuted for is potentially money laundering, because they're not just criminals. In one area. They've got an entire criminal enterprise. And this is just one branch of what they do. And on the clean up, we are going to go after the criminals to make sure they pay. We've worked with other departments to publish criteria for clean up where those sites where intervention is most needed. And we're currently funding clean up for Bolton House in Wigan, Alan Ramsbottom in Hyndburn and Worthing Road in Sheffield.
So we'll go much further to prevent landowners picking up the bill in future. Working with the insurance industry to explore new models to shield farmers, business and landowners from bearing the cost of waste in their areas. We recognise the role that councils have and um, the. Challenges that they face, but thanks to this Labour government, they have more powers at their disposal than ever before. Issuing fixed penalty notices, prosecuting offenders, launching investigations and. Ealing Council, for example, has issued 1993 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping in 2020 425.
So when your councils tell you they don't have the money, often it's they don't have the will or they don't have the skills. They can also seize the vehicle of suspected fly tippers and they can seize and crush the vehicle. Or if you're interested in reuse as I am, they can also sell it. We've published best practice guidance and case studies on vehicle seizure to give them the confidence to use these powers. Um, the National Flytipping Prevention Group, chaired by Defra officials, has got this guidance and you may wish to bring this to Mr.
Stringer, to the attention. Members may wish to bring it to the attention of their local councils. Um, we have secured powers in the Crime and Policing Act for courts to impose up to nine penalty points on driving licence. It is a strong deterrent and will make people think twice before they do a job for their mates on the weekend. Um, we are consulting on a proposal to give local authorities powers to issue conditional. To suspected fly tippers. They are a range of pre-court community based sanctions.
And of course we all want to see these these guys and is mostly guys going to prison. But of course the situation we inherited with the courts was a backlog. The situation we inherited with the prisons was prisons fit to, um, full, full to bursting. But these cautions could see offenders cleaning our streets or parks in an unpaid capacity and requiring them to pay back the cost of cleaning up the waste they've dumped. So it gives local authorities another tool in the box.
I want to pay tribute to all the volunteers that have worked in this area, not least in my own city of Coventry, destination Ball Hill, um, the Reverend Matthew Ball at Saint John the Divine, where I spent a very sweaty two hours. I will not give way. Um, two very sweaty hours cleaning up Willenhall. Um, last Friday I went back on Saturday and already someone had littered out of a car, you know, they're there, their, their, uh, Burger King. Uh, so, you know, there is a thing about it is about people.
Um, and, um, it's very, very annoying as a cyclist, I remember posting a cigarette box back into the, through the window of a motorist who had just littered it right in front of my bike. And that was one of the more fruity exchanges that I had as a cyclist. But I think we need to follow. Coventry City Council's lead. Have the wall of shame, have CCTV in areas such as Clement Street in my constituency on Hexham. Um there is wrap guidance on um on on accessibility of household waste and recycling um centres.
And I do urge his council to, to bring that guidance to the attention of his council. Um I do think it is important that we have more tidy Fridays and we do now of course, have an assistant Commissioner, Louisa Rolfe, who has been seconded from the Metropolitan Police to the National Police Chiefs Council to coordinate this work at across police forces across the country. With that, I am disappointed to hear about the Lib Dems in Portsmouth. Um, and I do think it is really important that we work with national highways and crowd everybody into this space.
And with that, Mr. Stringer, I'll take my seat.
But let me just say that under the coalition government and the cuts that happened under that, the beginnings of this public squalor occurred. And under the, um, you know, the so-called big society of David Cameron, we didn't realise we were all going to have to become litter picking Womble troops, um, set up our own food banks to feed our communities and end up having to be lollipop. Um, crossing wardens as well because of the severe cuts that happened on their watch to local government. It's a fitting that we're having this debate under, at the at the beginning of London Climate Action Week, because everybody's environment starts at their front door.
It's not something that's out there that's in the oceans, that's in the forest. It is stuff that is literally in the streets where we live. And as the honourable lady for Morecambe and Lunesdale said, it is a matter of social justice. This is about environmental justice, but it is also about the poorest people bearing the consequences of this environmental crime. It is an epidemic that proliferated under the coalition and it became a pandemic from 2015. The failure to implement any new policy and the starvation of local government, which saw the local tips close, has led to this criminal activity and this waste crime epidemic.
So fly tipping scars our streets and parks, and it takes that pride away, but it also robs us as taxpayers in 2024, um to 20. 25 the financial year alone. Criminals, these waste criminals, they're not cowboys. They're criminals evaded at least £1 billion of landfill tax. So every fridge that's dumped, every little bit of, you know, kitchen stuff that's a refurb and is dumped. That has not gone to be disposed of correctly, either in landfill or incineration. So that is unacceptable.
We are determined to take back control of our streets, parks and countryside from these criminals. Since we came into office, the honourable gentleman talked about setting up the Joint Unit for Waste Crime. We have boosted the Environment Agency's enforcement budget for the current financial year by 50%, from £10 million to over £15 million over the next three years. We are giving the Environment Agency an additional £45 million, so that budget is going up from 10 million to 15 this year, and then it's going to go up to 30.
So we have trebled that budget. That is what we are doing. We are not doing action plans. We are putting our money where our mouth is, and that will mean more boots on the ground and more drones in the air. We have pursued major regulatory reforms and boosted the Joint Unit for waste Crime. Since this government came to power, the EA has stopped illegal waste activity. At over 1500 sites and has achieved 125 prosecutions, with ten people going to prison.
Crime Stoppers has launched a national campaign encouraging the public to play their part by anonymously reporting suspicious activity. By calling 0800 555111. And I do encourage all members here to amplify that campaign, which is running on social media at the moment. Our Waste crime action plan is the next step and it is a scale up. We are preventing illegal activity before it starts. Secondly, strengthening enforcement so offenders are caught and punished. And thirdly, cleaning up the most harmful sites.
So let me take each in turn first. Prevention. Stopping it means putting legislation through Parliament that will replace the outdated paper systems which again were neglected under the previous government with mandatory digital waste tracking. A single UK wide platform that will monitor waste movements in real time, and regulators will be able to spot diversion away from legitimate pathways and fraud, i.e. mis of waste, um at a much earlier stage in the chain, we've laid secondary legislation that will overhaul the regulation of the waste carriers, brokers and dealers systems so there'll be no more bovines registered as waste dealers.
We're moving from a light touch system into full environmental permitting. We are also removing widely abused waste permit exemptions on tyres, end of life vehicles and scrap metal. And we are tightening up on seven more waste permit exemptions as well. And we are also going after the tax avoiders. HMRC is expanding tax checks, tax check rules to the waste sector. So if your tax record is questionable, we will be asking you questions before renewing your licence. I'm going to make some progress on enforcement.
We are matching prevention with tougher enforcement and pursuing the criminals with every tool in the box. We are increasing the Environment Agency's budget. As I have mentioned, and we're giving them new police style powers to intervene earlier, disrupt, disrupt the criminals and bring them to justice before their illegal operations become established. So you've got to nip this in the bud when it happens. That's what we know is work. I will. I will finish my no.
I'm going to finish my point. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime is strengthening its hand. It is bringing together environmental watchdogs, police forces and the National Crime Agency to dismantle the serious organised crime networks that blight our communities. The penalties for waste crime must match the crime it causes and the carriers, brokers, dealers reform will increase penalties for offenders to up to five years in prison. But we also know that sometimes they're not they're not going to be prosecuted for environmental crime.
What they will be prosecuted for is potentially money laundering, because they're not just criminals. In one area. They've got an entire criminal enterprise. And this is just one branch of what they do. And on the clean up, we are going to go after the criminals to make sure they pay. We've worked with other departments to publish criteria for clean up where those sites where intervention is most needed. And we're currently funding clean up for Bolton House in Wigan, Alan Ramsbottom in Hyndburn and Worthing Road in Sheffield.
So we'll go much further to prevent landowners picking up the bill in future. Working with the insurance industry to explore new models to shield farmers, business and landowners from bearing the cost of waste in their areas. We recognise the role that councils have and um, the. Challenges that they face, but thanks to this Labour government, they have more powers at their disposal than ever before. Issuing fixed penalty notices, prosecuting offenders, launching investigations and. Ealing Council, for example, has issued 1993 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping in 2020 425.
So when your councils tell you they don't have the money, often it's they don't have the will or they don't have the skills. They can also seize the vehicle of suspected fly tippers and they can seize and crush the vehicle. Or if you're interested in reuse as I am, they can also sell it. We've published best practice guidance and case studies on vehicle seizure to give them the confidence to use these powers. Um, the National Flytipping Prevention Group, chaired by Defra officials, has got this guidance and you may wish to bring this to Mr.
Stringer, to the attention. Members may wish to bring it to the attention of their local councils. Um, we have secured powers in the Crime and Policing Act for courts to impose up to nine penalty points on driving licence. It is a strong deterrent and will make people think twice before they do a job for their mates on the weekend. Um, we are consulting on a proposal to give local authorities powers to issue conditional. To suspected fly tippers. They are a range of pre-court community based sanctions.
And of course we all want to see these these guys and is mostly guys going to prison. But of course the situation we inherited with the courts was a backlog. The situation we inherited with the prisons was prisons fit to, um, full, full to bursting. But these cautions could see offenders cleaning our streets or parks in an unpaid capacity and requiring them to pay back the cost of cleaning up the waste they've dumped. So it gives local authorities another tool in the box.
I want to pay tribute to all the volunteers that have worked in this area, not least in my own city of Coventry, destination Ball Hill, um, the Reverend Matthew Ball at Saint John the Divine, where I spent a very sweaty two hours. I will not give way. Um, two very sweaty hours cleaning up Willenhall. Um, last Friday I went back on Saturday and already someone had littered out of a car, you know, they're there, their, their, uh, Burger King. Uh, so, you know, there is a thing about it is about people.
Um, and, um, it's very, very annoying as a cyclist, I remember posting a cigarette box back into the, through the window of a motorist who had just littered it right in front of my bike. And that was one of the more fruity exchanges that I had as a cyclist. But I think we need to follow. Coventry City Council's lead. Have the wall of shame, have CCTV in areas such as Clement Street in my constituency on Hexham. Um there is wrap guidance on um on on accessibility of household waste and recycling um centres.
And I do urge his council to, to bring that guidance to the attention of his council. Um I do think it is important that we have more tidy Fridays and we do now of course, have an assistant Commissioner, Louisa Rolfe, who has been seconded from the Metropolitan Police to the National Police Chiefs Council to coordinate this work at across police forces across the country. With that, I am disappointed to hear about the Lib Dems in Portsmouth. Um, and I do think it is really important that we work with national highways and crowd everybody into this space.
And with that, Mr. Stringer, I'll take my seat.
10:58
10:59
Speaker 8
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Speaker 8
Mr. Skinner, thank you. Also to the minister for that response. I think it was really welcome to hear news on the tax checks and greater intervention of HMRC and the Organised Crime Task Force as well. I wonder whether it would be helpful to, um, bring Lisa Rolfe into Parliament for a round table, perhaps to discuss how police forces are coordinating on this matter across the country. I think that there would be widespread interest, judging by the number of people who contributed in the debate today.
I'm very grateful to colleagues for turning up and supporting this. Um, the point about councils, uh, and the funds are there, but the will and the skill may not be, um, I'd be keen to explore what that means in practice. I mean, fundamentally this is um an agreement between, uh, you know, the people and, and the state. We're paying our taxes to have a, with an expectation that there will be services provided and that social contract is quite fragile at the moment. It's very easily undermined.
It's disappointing that so many of our fellow citizens are the ones who are undermining that, uh, for, for the majority in the country. Um, and I think that remembering that that social contract, uh, remains continues and perhaps focusing on the positives of so many people who do believe in it, uh, reinforce it and give their time. Uh, so thank you for the time and contribution today. I thought it was all incredibly thoughtful, and I look forward to continuing discussions with the minister.
I'm very grateful to colleagues for turning up and supporting this. Um, the point about councils, uh, and the funds are there, but the will and the skill may not be, um, I'd be keen to explore what that means in practice. I mean, fundamentally this is um an agreement between, uh, you know, the people and, and the state. We're paying our taxes to have a, with an expectation that there will be services provided and that social contract is quite fragile at the moment. It's very easily undermined.
It's disappointing that so many of our fellow citizens are the ones who are undermining that, uh, for, for the majority in the country. Um, and I think that remembering that that social contract, uh, remains continues and perhaps focusing on the positives of so many people who do believe in it, uh, reinforce it and give their time. Uh, so thank you for the time and contribution today. I thought it was all incredibly thoughtful, and I look forward to continuing discussions with the minister.
11:00
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Questionnaires that this House has considered the matter of flytipping in residential areas and associated impacts, as many as are of that opinion, say I, over the. Three no, I think the ayes have it. Order, order!Order, please clear the chamber. Order!I will call Carla Lockhart to move the motion, and I will then call the minister to respond. I remind other members that they may only make a speech with prior permission from the member in charge of the debate, and the Minister.
There will not be an opportunity for the member in charge to wind up, as is the convention, for 30 minutes. I have received no such notice. That permission has been given by the Minister in the other order. Order Carla Lockhart to move the motion.
There will not be an opportunity for the member in charge to wind up, as is the convention, for 30 minutes. I have received no such notice. That permission has been given by the Minister in the other order. Order Carla Lockhart to move the motion.
11:01
Speaker 23
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Speaker 23
I beg to move that this House has considered UK Ireland cooperation on border security. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Stringer. Ten years ago today, the citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. That historic decision should have ushered in a new era. People voted to strengthen our borders, reclaim our sovereignty, and put the safety of our own citizens first. During the negotiations that followed, Northern Ireland was repeatedly assured that our place in the United Kingdom would be respected and protected.
But what has followed has been nothing short of betrayal. post-Brexit settlements were negotiated largely by politicians who voted to remain people whose hearts were never in the democratic mandate with which they were entrusted. The result?A border system so broken that only one asylum seeker has been returned to the Republic of Ireland since 2020. I repeat, only one asylum seeker over a five year period. Even as illegal entrants exploit that border day after day. This is simply unacceptable.
But what has followed has been nothing short of betrayal. post-Brexit settlements were negotiated largely by politicians who voted to remain people whose hearts were never in the democratic mandate with which they were entrusted. The result?A border system so broken that only one asylum seeker has been returned to the Republic of Ireland since 2020. I repeat, only one asylum seeker over a five year period. Even as illegal entrants exploit that border day after day. This is simply unacceptable.
11:02
11:03
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
Can I commend my honourable friend and colleague, the Honourable Lady, for Upper Bound, for bringing this forward?And the party that she and I belong to, of course, have been highlighting this back to our approach for a number of years, and government has refused to act. The people took the streets in thousands peacefully to tell their government that action was needed. Recently, does the honourable lady not agree that the government must listen and begin to act today?And we look forward to what the Minister will say to reassure us.
11:03
Speaker 23
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Speaker 23
My honourable friend, certainly, as I go on my speech, I will address just that. We are the only part of the UK with a soft land border with the EU. That reality has been downplayed by politicians in London and Dublin alike when it comes to illegal immigration, northern Ireland has been left uniquely exposed. The weak link in the UK's border security chain and our people have been put at risk. In the case of the Sudanese attacker, quite literally at risk of life and limb.
The attempted beheading in Belfast has served as a brutal reminder to us all. This is what happens when Northern Ireland security is treated as an afterthought. The attacker came here illegally. He travelled from Sudan to Paris, flew to Dublin and took a bus to Belfast. All public knowledge he was granted asylum with astonishing haste he passed through two other safe country. First, a ten page application is what he completed to gain access. Really, it is simply not acceptable that our UK border has been left so porous with the Republic of Ireland.
The attempted beheading in Belfast has served as a brutal reminder to us all. This is what happens when Northern Ireland security is treated as an afterthought. The attacker came here illegally. He travelled from Sudan to Paris, flew to Dublin and took a bus to Belfast. All public knowledge he was granted asylum with astonishing haste he passed through two other safe country. First, a ten page application is what he completed to gain access. Really, it is simply not acceptable that our UK border has been left so porous with the Republic of Ireland.
11:04
11:04
Speaker 24
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Speaker 24
Thank the honourable member for giving way and for securing this debate today. Um, given the clear and present danger posed by terrorism across the world, organised crime and the trafficking of drugs, people and illegal weapons across the border. Does she agree that it's incumbent on both governments to deepen real time intelligence and data sharing, and to tighten the legal and procedural frameworks to streamline extradition, but also to point out to the member that our border is totally open. There could be thousands of people entering through into the UK, through Northern Ireland.
We don't have any numbers. We don't know who's coming and we don't know how good or bad those individuals could be.
We don't have any numbers. We don't know who's coming and we don't know how good or bad those individuals could be.
11:05
Speaker 23
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Speaker 23
Okay is absolutely right. The first duty of government is to protect its citizens. When violent offenders can simply walk or drive across the border, that duty is not being met. The government has taken strenuous efforts to check goods moving from GB to Northern Ireland, including plants, agricultural machinery and seeds. Yet when it comes to illegal migrants, they can simply hop on a bus from the Republic of Ireland and cross the border, no questions asked and no vetting required. When functioning properly.
The Common Travel area is a practical arrangement that works well for people living right across these islands. It ensures that UK and Irish citizens can travel relatively freely within the zone, at least in principle. That is a sensible system and we should keep it that way I will.
The Common Travel area is a practical arrangement that works well for people living right across these islands. It ensures that UK and Irish citizens can travel relatively freely within the zone, at least in principle. That is a sensible system and we should keep it that way I will.
11:06
Speaker 25
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Speaker 25
Thank you. Very surprised at the misrepresentation that there's been from the Secretary of State about what the Common Travel area means. It means simply that there is common travel for those who are legally in the country, not those who are illegally in the country. And she also surprised that for all the government's talk, they've taken no steps to deal with the pull factors which bring these illegal immigrants to the United Kingdom. Free accommodation immediately they apply for asylum. A weekly amount of money registered with a GP, register with a dentist, and then we're surprised that they pass through many safe countries to come to the United Kingdom.
11:06
Speaker 23
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Speaker 23
I think he's I think he's reading my speech, but for the. Seat. So I agree totally. But for the CTA to work, it cannot be abused. It was built on trust between two sovereign nations. It is not a back door for illegal migration. In theory, the CTA is not intended for asylum seekers. In practice, the open land border is being shamelessly exploited by people who want to dodge UK immigration controls. The attack in Belfast is clear evidence that this loophole is wide open to abuse by dangerous individuals.
Of course, the problems do not stop here. Abuse of the CTA is happening right across the board, not only on our roads but at our airports and seaports. In the past year alone, more than 900 individuals have been detected abusing CTA routes. Northern Ireland is being used as a soft point of access into the United Kingdom, while London and Dublin trade warm words about cooperation. It is our ports, our airports and our communities that are carrying the burden of a system that is simply not working.
Of course, the problems do not stop here. Abuse of the CTA is happening right across the board, not only on our roads but at our airports and seaports. In the past year alone, more than 900 individuals have been detected abusing CTA routes. Northern Ireland is being used as a soft point of access into the United Kingdom, while London and Dublin trade warm words about cooperation. It is our ports, our airports and our communities that are carrying the burden of a system that is simply not working.
11:08
Speaker 26
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Speaker 26
You, the honourable member, for giving way. Just on the issue of the poorest border, no one expects a hard border to constitute installations, etc., but the poorest nature of the border. I've been trying to get the government to release the figures about how many electronic travel authorisations are have been, and I never get an answer because even people who are coming legally to tour and visit and holiday, we don't even know those numbers.
11:08
Speaker 23
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Speaker 23
You're correct. It is. It is frustrating the lack of information that the government is willing to provide on all manners of things with regards to the border and the movings back and forward. Mr. chairman, we need bus and rail checks like in the Republic. The Republic of Ireland already carries out immigration checks without damaging the CTA. They have shown that it is perfectly possible to balance two things maintaining the ease of movement while implementing targeted enforcement to protect public safety.
We must remember that nothing in the Belfast Agreement prevents proper immigration checks. The agreement requires the removal of military infrastructure. It did not and never could prevent the UK from protecting the integrity of its own borders. When my migrants began fleeing to Northern Ireland to avoid the Rwanda scheme, the Republic of Ireland responded by intensifying immigration checks on vehicles travelling south, buses and other vehicles get pulled over on roads south of the border regularly in order to verify people's identity documents. If the Republic can use this kind of targeted enforcement to protect its citizens, then why can't we do the same in Northern Ireland?When people say weak border controls and a government unwilling to grip the issue, their frustrations grow.
Mr. chairman, Upper Bann is home to people from many different backgrounds who make an enormous contribution to our community. Every day they run businesses, work in our hospitals and care homes, contribute to our economy and enrich community life. And particularly proud of the Indian community in Upper Bann. They are a wonderful people, entrepreneurial in spirit, strong family values and enrich our constituency. That is why I draw a clear distinction between legal immigration and illegal immigration. And my concerns today are about illegal immigration and the border.
That is too often exploited by those who are trying to bypass proper processes. As politicians, we must stop talking around the issue and start addressing it. The public deserve honesty about long standing failures to tackle immigration and secure our borders. Tensions do not appear out of thin air, and if politicians simply offer warm words while dodging the root cause, then those tensions will only deepen. Legitimate concerns must not be dismissed. We must also be honest about another uncomfortable truth.
It is not racist to be concerned about illegal immigration. It is not racist to expect secure borders. It is not racist to ask who is entering our country, how they have arrived here, and whether the system is operating fairly or correctly. The overwhelming majority of people raising these concerns are decent, law abiding citizens who care deeply about their communities and their country. They have every right to express their concerns through peaceful and lawful protests. Too often, however, legitimate questions have been dismissed, smeared or ignored.
Some of the language used by sections of the media and politicians has been disgraceful. Rather than engaging with genuine public concerns, they have chosen to caricature, lecture or label people. That approach does not solve the problem. It only deepens public frustration and further erodes trust in our institutions. As politicians, our responsibility is not to silence concerns or pretend they do not exist. Our responsibility is to listen. Listen, speak honestly and take action when action is needed.
Let me be clear I condemn violence. I have repeatedly called for calm, for the respect for the law, and for the space to address the real issues that lie beneath the anger. There is no justification for attacking innocent people, for destroying property, or indeed attacking the police. That being said, we must not be distracted from the legitimate concerns about illegal immigration. The root cause of the problem can no longer be ignored. We need people to see that the government in Westminster is on their side, and that starts with being honest about why so many people are coming to the United Kingdom and exploiting the soft border.
Britain is seen as an attractive destination. Those who arrive know they will receive taxpayer funded accommodation, weekly financial support payments, free access to NHS healthcare, school places for their children, interpretation services and legal aid, and other forms of support. They also know that enforcement is weak and removals are rare. That is a powerful pull factor. The cost in 2023, at the height of the crisis, asylum hotel accommodation was costing around 9 million per day. Every day. Even now, it's estimated that the cost of housing asylum seekers will rocket to 15.3 billion, as opposed to 4.5 billion forecasted more than three times the original estimate.
Those are not abstract figures. That is, taxpayers money that could be otherwise spent in the NHS or schools or roads and our place. The British people are generous and compassionate. They will always support genuinely fleeing persecution, fleeing persecution. But every government has a duty to look after its own citizens. And let's be honest, the boats that people see coming in have single meals on them. And if I or you were fleeing a war torn country, what is the first thing you would seek to protect your your wife and your family?While the extra emergency funding for the PSNI is welcome, the damage is already done.
What we need is action that prevents the violence in the first place. So as I close, I have three requests of the Minister. Firstly, what steps will he be taking to ensure an operational plan going forward?That is rapid removal of those with no right to be here, and a joint approach that stops violent offenders exploiting the differences between the two jurisdictions. Secondly, what steps will he be taking to review CTA safeguards and press for action regarding better checks in Northern Ireland?And lastly, how does he intend to restore public trust in the UK as broken exploited immigration system?If we truly want to realise the promise of Brexit, then Northern Ireland's place in the Union must mean something.
Protecting citizens is a basic duty of any sovereign state that includes consistent border control across all four nations of the UK. If we take the tough decisions now, we can forge a future where security is guaranteed, sovereignty is upheld and a UK that stands strong, tall and united once again.
We must remember that nothing in the Belfast Agreement prevents proper immigration checks. The agreement requires the removal of military infrastructure. It did not and never could prevent the UK from protecting the integrity of its own borders. When my migrants began fleeing to Northern Ireland to avoid the Rwanda scheme, the Republic of Ireland responded by intensifying immigration checks on vehicles travelling south, buses and other vehicles get pulled over on roads south of the border regularly in order to verify people's identity documents. If the Republic can use this kind of targeted enforcement to protect its citizens, then why can't we do the same in Northern Ireland?When people say weak border controls and a government unwilling to grip the issue, their frustrations grow.
Mr. chairman, Upper Bann is home to people from many different backgrounds who make an enormous contribution to our community. Every day they run businesses, work in our hospitals and care homes, contribute to our economy and enrich community life. And particularly proud of the Indian community in Upper Bann. They are a wonderful people, entrepreneurial in spirit, strong family values and enrich our constituency. That is why I draw a clear distinction between legal immigration and illegal immigration. And my concerns today are about illegal immigration and the border.
That is too often exploited by those who are trying to bypass proper processes. As politicians, we must stop talking around the issue and start addressing it. The public deserve honesty about long standing failures to tackle immigration and secure our borders. Tensions do not appear out of thin air, and if politicians simply offer warm words while dodging the root cause, then those tensions will only deepen. Legitimate concerns must not be dismissed. We must also be honest about another uncomfortable truth.
It is not racist to be concerned about illegal immigration. It is not racist to expect secure borders. It is not racist to ask who is entering our country, how they have arrived here, and whether the system is operating fairly or correctly. The overwhelming majority of people raising these concerns are decent, law abiding citizens who care deeply about their communities and their country. They have every right to express their concerns through peaceful and lawful protests. Too often, however, legitimate questions have been dismissed, smeared or ignored.
Some of the language used by sections of the media and politicians has been disgraceful. Rather than engaging with genuine public concerns, they have chosen to caricature, lecture or label people. That approach does not solve the problem. It only deepens public frustration and further erodes trust in our institutions. As politicians, our responsibility is not to silence concerns or pretend they do not exist. Our responsibility is to listen. Listen, speak honestly and take action when action is needed.
Let me be clear I condemn violence. I have repeatedly called for calm, for the respect for the law, and for the space to address the real issues that lie beneath the anger. There is no justification for attacking innocent people, for destroying property, or indeed attacking the police. That being said, we must not be distracted from the legitimate concerns about illegal immigration. The root cause of the problem can no longer be ignored. We need people to see that the government in Westminster is on their side, and that starts with being honest about why so many people are coming to the United Kingdom and exploiting the soft border.
Britain is seen as an attractive destination. Those who arrive know they will receive taxpayer funded accommodation, weekly financial support payments, free access to NHS healthcare, school places for their children, interpretation services and legal aid, and other forms of support. They also know that enforcement is weak and removals are rare. That is a powerful pull factor. The cost in 2023, at the height of the crisis, asylum hotel accommodation was costing around 9 million per day. Every day. Even now, it's estimated that the cost of housing asylum seekers will rocket to 15.3 billion, as opposed to 4.5 billion forecasted more than three times the original estimate.
Those are not abstract figures. That is, taxpayers money that could be otherwise spent in the NHS or schools or roads and our place. The British people are generous and compassionate. They will always support genuinely fleeing persecution, fleeing persecution. But every government has a duty to look after its own citizens. And let's be honest, the boats that people see coming in have single meals on them. And if I or you were fleeing a war torn country, what is the first thing you would seek to protect your your wife and your family?While the extra emergency funding for the PSNI is welcome, the damage is already done.
What we need is action that prevents the violence in the first place. So as I close, I have three requests of the Minister. Firstly, what steps will he be taking to ensure an operational plan going forward?That is rapid removal of those with no right to be here, and a joint approach that stops violent offenders exploiting the differences between the two jurisdictions. Secondly, what steps will he be taking to review CTA safeguards and press for action regarding better checks in Northern Ireland?And lastly, how does he intend to restore public trust in the UK as broken exploited immigration system?If we truly want to realise the promise of Brexit, then Northern Ireland's place in the Union must mean something.
Protecting citizens is a basic duty of any sovereign state that includes consistent border control across all four nations of the UK. If we take the tough decisions now, we can forge a future where security is guaranteed, sovereignty is upheld and a UK that stands strong, tall and united once again.
11:14
11:14
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
It's a pleasure to serve. Under your chairmanship, Mr. Stringer. May I start by congratulating the honourable member for Upper Bann for securing this debate on a topic of great significance. We have had a number of contributions, and I am grateful to them all. I respect these valid concerns and absolutely agree that having these concerns is not racist.
11:15
Speaker 10
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Speaker 10
Security at the UK border depends to a very large extent on cooperation. The nature of the threats we face demand that we work relentlessly across services, sectors and borders to ensure we have the clearest possible picture of what and who are coming into our. In that effort, Ireland is without question one of our most crucial partners. It is a deep and long standing partnership, underpinned by a shared determination to uphold the first duty of any government, ensuring the safety and security of both of our nations.
And it's also an active partnership. The CTA is at the centre of the active partnership, having been in operation for over a century. It is an enduring arrangement between the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies, and it's unique and invaluable. And it is unique and invaluable. Allowing British and Irish citizens to move freely, live and work across our jurisdictions and maintain the close links that underpin our shared history. But the success of the CTA does depend, above all, on us preserving its security and integrity.
That means working closely with our Irish counterparts to identify emerging risks and trends. Our cooperation is comprehensive, spanning operational activity, intelligence sharing, and joint strategic planning. While patterns of abuse are detected. We co-ordinate action to disrupt them, ensuring a consistent and effective response on both sides. And we are taking that cooperation further. At the UK Ireland Summit in March. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach agreed to expand our immigration data sharing arrangements. This work is aimed squarely at preventing those who are not entitled to CTA rights from exploiting the free movement provisions.
This is an important step forward in further strengthening the security architecture that underpins the CTA. It's also important to recognise that while the CTA enables close cooperation, it does not require fully harmonised immigration systems. Each country retains control of its own borders and decision making. While there are no routine immigration controls within the CTA and no controls on the Northern Ireland Ireland land border, the UK does operate intelligence led enforcement activity on CTA routes to identify those attempting to abuse the CTA arrangement. These targeted risk based interventions are also operated away from the land border in Northern Ireland.
But let me be clear everyone entering the United Kingdom must meet our immigration requirements, regardless of where they arrive from. Where individuals attempt to evade those requirements, they are liable to be detained and, if appropriate, removed and deported. In Northern Ireland, the absence of a hard border remains fundamental. Supporting peace, stability and the commitment of the Good Friday Agreement. But the openness must be matched by robust enforcement of our of our border security. Through our joint work with Ireland and the Crown dependencies to further secure the external border of the CTA and then in-country through our intelligence led operational activity on intra CTA routes.
And it's also an active partnership. The CTA is at the centre of the active partnership, having been in operation for over a century. It is an enduring arrangement between the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies, and it's unique and invaluable. And it is unique and invaluable. Allowing British and Irish citizens to move freely, live and work across our jurisdictions and maintain the close links that underpin our shared history. But the success of the CTA does depend, above all, on us preserving its security and integrity.
That means working closely with our Irish counterparts to identify emerging risks and trends. Our cooperation is comprehensive, spanning operational activity, intelligence sharing, and joint strategic planning. While patterns of abuse are detected. We co-ordinate action to disrupt them, ensuring a consistent and effective response on both sides. And we are taking that cooperation further. At the UK Ireland Summit in March. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach agreed to expand our immigration data sharing arrangements. This work is aimed squarely at preventing those who are not entitled to CTA rights from exploiting the free movement provisions.
This is an important step forward in further strengthening the security architecture that underpins the CTA. It's also important to recognise that while the CTA enables close cooperation, it does not require fully harmonised immigration systems. Each country retains control of its own borders and decision making. While there are no routine immigration controls within the CTA and no controls on the Northern Ireland Ireland land border, the UK does operate intelligence led enforcement activity on CTA routes to identify those attempting to abuse the CTA arrangement. These targeted risk based interventions are also operated away from the land border in Northern Ireland.
But let me be clear everyone entering the United Kingdom must meet our immigration requirements, regardless of where they arrive from. Where individuals attempt to evade those requirements, they are liable to be detained and, if appropriate, removed and deported. In Northern Ireland, the absence of a hard border remains fundamental. Supporting peace, stability and the commitment of the Good Friday Agreement. But the openness must be matched by robust enforcement of our of our border security. Through our joint work with Ireland and the Crown dependencies to further secure the external border of the CTA and then in-country through our intelligence led operational activity on intra CTA routes.
11:18
11:18
Speaker 28
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Speaker 28
Minister and congratulate my honourable friend for bringing forward this debate. Does he understand that when he speaks of cooperation between the Prime Minister and Taoiseach, it rings hollow when immigration officials in Dublin Airport will indicate where the bus is to Belfast that they actively, proactively indicate to individuals how they can access the United Kingdom. Does he understand that?I could give him a litany of cases of individuals who have been removed from the United Kingdom and returned to the country in which they arrived at Dublin, only for them to return on the Ulster on three separate occasions?That's one individual flouting the system on three occasions.
And does he understand that any agreement around data sharing rings hollow when the Home Office won't tell us how many people enter the UK from the Republic of Ireland won't tell us how many apply in Drumkeen House in Belfast and won't tell us how many are not removed from Northern Ireland, but removed from the United Kingdom as a whole. And even more so that the Home Secretary says that's because of the Belfast Agreement. That's not right. And there needs to be some openness.
And does he understand that any agreement around data sharing rings hollow when the Home Office won't tell us how many people enter the UK from the Republic of Ireland won't tell us how many apply in Drumkeen House in Belfast and won't tell us how many are not removed from Northern Ireland, but removed from the United Kingdom as a whole. And even more so that the Home Secretary says that's because of the Belfast Agreement. That's not right. And there needs to be some openness.
11:19
Speaker 10
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Speaker 10
I thank the honourable member for his well made points. I disagree that these, um, important diplomatic relations and agreements are hollow, but I do take away the point, um, from the Irish border and we'll feed that into official. That is disturbing and something. Of course I absolutely disagree with. I will turn briefly to our work around immigration enforcement. We have removed nearly 7000 individuals, um, since the end of March this year. That's a 41% increase on the numbers of returns recorded in the previous 21 month period.
The government will step up and intensify immigration enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland. The Home Secretary is investing over £3 billion into immigration enforcement activity over the next three years, including in Northern Ireland, where we will see a 20% increase in officers compared to in officers compared to 2023. Uh, I can't ignore the, um, extremely important points made around the incident in Belfast that disturbed us all. And I agree that there is action that needs to be taken to ensure that those in our country are not committing offences.
And we have seen, of course, foreign national offender removals increased significantly under this government. But we don't hide behind that, and we understand that there is more to do and we will continue to pursue and deport and remove those that shouldn't be here. On that specific individual, of course, I won't go into any more detail than we've already given, confirming that he is Sudanese and we know how he entered the country. Excuse me. On pull factors, it is an important point.
And we did inherit a situation where both illegal migration and legal migration were too high, and illegal migration is still too high. We see that on small boat crossings, but also other clandestine entry points. But we have and are reforming the immigration system to remove those pull factors, making it less attractive to come to the country. Aligning our asylum system with the rest of Europe to reduce that asylum shopping that we've seen over the last 4 or 5 years. We're also making sure it's easier to remove and deport people, which is why that number is up 41% to nearly 70,000.
But we will go further, and there are more announcements on that in due course. I'll touch on on costs. Illegal migration is costly, which is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced is costing the taxpayer far too much. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites, and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down.
Asylum accommodation and into larger sites. And in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced by around 10%. I will. By thanking the honourable member for securing this debate, which is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down. Asylum accommodation is is costing the taxpayer far too much. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced by around 10%. I will conclude by thanking the honourable member for securing this debate.
I am grateful to her and to all members who have contributed. Important points have been raised and I am pleased to have had this opportunity to reaffirm the UK government's steadfast commitment.
The government will step up and intensify immigration enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland. The Home Secretary is investing over £3 billion into immigration enforcement activity over the next three years, including in Northern Ireland, where we will see a 20% increase in officers compared to in officers compared to 2023. Uh, I can't ignore the, um, extremely important points made around the incident in Belfast that disturbed us all. And I agree that there is action that needs to be taken to ensure that those in our country are not committing offences.
And we have seen, of course, foreign national offender removals increased significantly under this government. But we don't hide behind that, and we understand that there is more to do and we will continue to pursue and deport and remove those that shouldn't be here. On that specific individual, of course, I won't go into any more detail than we've already given, confirming that he is Sudanese and we know how he entered the country. Excuse me. On pull factors, it is an important point.
And we did inherit a situation where both illegal migration and legal migration were too high, and illegal migration is still too high. We see that on small boat crossings, but also other clandestine entry points. But we have and are reforming the immigration system to remove those pull factors, making it less attractive to come to the country. Aligning our asylum system with the rest of Europe to reduce that asylum shopping that we've seen over the last 4 or 5 years. We're also making sure it's easier to remove and deport people, which is why that number is up 41% to nearly 70,000.
But we will go further, and there are more announcements on that in due course. I'll touch on on costs. Illegal migration is costly, which is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced is costing the taxpayer far too much. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites, and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down.
Asylum accommodation and into larger sites. And in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced by around 10%. I will. By thanking the honourable member for securing this debate, which is another one of the reasons for ensuring that we bring that down. Asylum accommodation is is costing the taxpayer far too much. We are moving individuals out of hotels and into larger sites and in Northern Ireland, asylum accommodation has reduced by around 10%. I will conclude by thanking the honourable member for securing this debate.
I am grateful to her and to all members who have contributed. Important points have been raised and I am pleased to have had this opportunity to reaffirm the UK government's steadfast commitment.
11:23
Speaker 16
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Speaker 16
For his response um. But my constituents will be listened to it saying they've learned absolutely nothing. They know nothing more than what is already in the public domain in terms of illegal immigration. They will have heard the words disturbing. Whenever my honourable colleague referenced the case of an individual returning three times. We're living with this in Northern Ireland. We are living in communities that feel unsafe because of illegal immigration, and yet they see a government who is unwilling, who's not even willing to take the full time to debate this issue and to actually come back and give us some evidence that you're taking it, that the honourable member member is taking it seriously.
Data sharing. Really, we need we need action. We need buses. We need real checks. We need action, not data sharing.
Data sharing. Really, we need we need action. We need buses. We need real checks. We need action, not data sharing.
11:25
Speaker 10
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Speaker 10
I thank the honourable member for her contribution. I absolutely disagree with the framing that we're not taking this seriously. We are here today having a debate. But on top of that, on top of that, we are working day in, day out to fix the immigration system that we've inherited. That's why deportations and removals are up. Asylum processing is up, hotel use is down. This isn't by accident. This is through commitment and hard work.
From the Home Office. I am the member of Parliament for Dover and deal. I am also at the front of the illegal migration problem. So I absolutely understand the frustration. I understand the passion. I agree that it's not racist to have those views against illegal migration, and that's why we're working so hard to fix this. But it doesn't happen overnight. And you have an absolute commitment from the Home Secretary to all ministers in the Home Office that we are dealing with.
And of course, looking at the CTA as well as I have set out already a close and active partnership is in place, and it will undoubtedly remain an integral part of our efforts to detect, disrupt and deter the threats we face to secure our border and ultimately keep our country safe.
From the Home Office. I am the member of Parliament for Dover and deal. I am also at the front of the illegal migration problem. So I absolutely understand the frustration. I understand the passion. I agree that it's not racist to have those views against illegal migration, and that's why we're working so hard to fix this. But it doesn't happen overnight. And you have an absolute commitment from the Home Secretary to all ministers in the Home Office that we are dealing with.
And of course, looking at the CTA as well as I have set out already a close and active partnership is in place, and it will undoubtedly remain an integral part of our efforts to detect, disrupt and deter the threats we face to secure our border and ultimately keep our country safe.