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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the CPS has taken to prosecute people more effectively for illegal littering in the last two years.

We are committed to taking action on litter: our manifesto includes a commitment to review the case for increasing the fines for littering.

Local councils and other relevant authorities are responsible for taking enforcement action against littering offences. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a Magistrates’ Court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Alternatively, the litter authority can issue a fixed penalty notice, which currently includes a fine of up to £80. It is for local councils to decide their priorities, including what enforcement action to take against littering offences.