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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent unlicensed waste disposal companies using social media to advertise their services.

The Government recently consulted on reform of the waste carrier, broker, dealer regime in which we asked whether permit numbers should be required to be shown in advertising and also on vehicles that collect and transport waste. The government response to the consultation will be published soon. In addition to this, between April 2022 and March 2023 the Environment Agency via the Governments joint unit for waste crime, undertook a project to look at the use of social media and other digital platforms by individuals or companies operating illegal waste businesses over the internet. This project is now being adopted longer term and a specific officer to target this is being recruited.