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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase levels of enforcement action against individuals responsible for fly-tipping.

Local authorities have powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught fly-tipping may be prosecuted which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment.

We encourage and support councils to make good use of their enforcement powers. For example, we are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to consistently, appropriately and effectively exercise these existing powers.

Following a review of council powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, we have issued best practice guidance on the website on the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group. This will support councils to make better use of their power to seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers and action that could lead to selling or destroying the vehicle.