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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to combat the illegal dumping of waste.

Illegal dumping of waste is a serious crime which damages the environment and causes misery to local communities. The government is committed to bearing down on the perpetrators and tackling all forms of waste crime is a government priority. We ensure that the Environment Agency (EA) and local authorities (LAs) have the necessary powers to tackle crime effectively across the waste sector. We brought in regulations earlier in the year to give the EA two additional powers to tackle problem waste sites. This enables the EA to restrict access to a waste site by locking the gates or barring access, and requiring all the waste to be removed from a site, not just the illegally deposited waste.

We have also recently given LAs the power to issue £400 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping offences and have enhanced the powers available to LAs and the EA, such as the ability to search and seize the vehicles of suspected waste criminals.

Earlier this year we published our consultation on proposals to introduce a new fixed penalty for householders who pass their waste to a fly-tipper. We also intend to provide updated guidance for householders about how to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly. We are currently analysing consultation responses. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we will seek to implement the changes later this year. As two thirds of fly-tipping is household waste, these additional measures will help tackle fly-tipping.

We have also committed £30million in additional funding to the EA for waste crime enforcement until March 2022. This means that since 2014, an additional £60million in funding has been committed to the EA.

With effect from April this year HMRC have introduced two changes to the Landfill Tax regime. These changes will further help tackle illegal dumping by making the disposal of waste less profitable.