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

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will implement plans for a waste crime levy.

The Government published its new Waste Crime Action Plan on 20 March which is the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste. We are now committing an additional £45 million for the Environment Agency (EA) to spend on waste crime enforcement over the next 3 financial years, on top of the £5.6 million increase for this financial year announced previously. This new funding will enable the EA to expand its on-the-ground enforcement activity and ensure waste criminals face the consequences of their actions. We continue to consider a waste crime levy to support enforcement but given the extra funding we are providing now, its introduction is not imminent.