Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increasing landfill tax on the prevalence of waste crime.

At Spring Budget 2024, the government announced that Landfill Tax rates in England and Northern Ireland will be adjusted from 1 April 2025. This will restore their value following a period of high inflation which was not foreseen by the OBR when rates were pre-announced.

The government remains committed to tackling waste crime which is a blight on local communities, harms the environment and undermines legitimate businesses operating in the sector.

The government agreed with the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation that the current ongoing review of Landfill Tax takes account of incentives to commit waste crime. Alongside this, DEFRA has announced the introduction of digital waste tracking from 2025 and reform of the licensing system, whilst multi-agency enforcement action through the Joint Unit for Waste Crime continues to disrupt criminal activity in the sector.