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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to increase the length of sentences for repeat fly-tipping offenders; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to tackling fly-tipping at all levels. The maximum penalty on indictment for fly-tipping is imprisonment of up to five years or a potentially unlimited fine. It is for local authorities to use the full range of powers available to them and ensure they prioritise resources to tackling this issue.

We worked with the Sentencing Council to strengthen Guidelines for environmental offences in 2014. We will continue to work with the appropriate people in the court system to ensure sentencing levels act as an effective deterrent.