Illegal Waste: Organised Crime Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Sojan Joseph
Main Page: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)Department Debates - View all Sojan Joseph's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Illegal Waste: Organised Crime
Sojan Joseph Excerpts(1 day, 13 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Emma Hardy
I urge the hon. Gentleman in the first instance to request a meeting with the local Environment Agency area director and to ask what further evidence is required to enable them to seek a prosecution. Of course, if he is not satisfied after having that meeting, he should write to the nature Minister.
Sojan Joseph (Ashford) (Lab)
It took four years before statutory bodies did anything about the waste dumping in Hoad’s Wood near my constituency after it was originally reported. Can the Minister tell us more about how she hopes to work with local authorities such as mine in Ashford to ensure that immediate actions are taken against people committing these appalling crimes?
Emma Hardy
My hon. Friend is right to be angry about the incidents that he is seeing in his constituency, and this is one of the reasons we have increased the Environment Agency funding for waste crime enforcement by 50%. Of course, we are always keen to work with all local authorities and to share best practice to ensure that all of them are going after these waste criminals.