Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Waste Industry: Criminality and Regulation

01 February 2022 · 10 other contributors · 10,827 words

Opened by Aaron Bell Con Newcastle-under-Lyme

Responding minister: Jo Churchill

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Aaron Bell raised concerns about waste industry: criminality and regulation in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The current nature of waste crime in England exceeds the Environment Agency's capacity as a regulator.
  • The cost of waste crime is estimated to have exceeded 1 billion in recent years.
  • Aaron Bell raised concerns about health impacts from emissions at Walleys Quarry and questioned the regulation allowing convicted criminals to operate waste sites.

Key requests to Government

Bell asked for the operator's permit at Walleys Quarry to be suspended while allegations are investigated, and for stronger enforcement against fraudulent practices in the waste industry. He urged the government to address regulatory loopholes that allow criminals to evade justice and suggested a better fit-and-proper-person test for waste site operators.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Aaron Bell Con Newcastle-under-Lyme

The current nature of waste crime in England is beyond the capacity of the Environment Agency as a regulator. The cost of waste crime was estimated to be £924 million in 2018-19 and likely exceeds £1 billion now. Aaron Bell highlighted specific issues at Walleys Quarry, including hydrogen sulphide emissions that affect local residents' health and quality of life. He also raised concerns about the regulation allowing a convicted criminal to operate waste sites and the lack of effective penalties for environmental violations.

Other contributors (10)
  • Daniel Poulter Con Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

    Asked the Minister to support the Environment Agency in collecting and collating information needed for prosecutions or taking action against offenders.

  • David Davis Con Goole and Pocklington

    City Plant in Goole has repeatedly broken rules, leading to environmental harm and criminal activity. The company's major shareholder is serving time for murder, highlighting the involvement of organised crime.

  • Deidre Brock SNP Glasgow North West

    Waste crime is a serious issue causing pollution and economic strain on legitimate operators. In Scotland, 250 million litter items are dropped annually and 26,000 tonnes of material is fly-tipped, costing £11 million for councils to remove waste from council-owned land alone.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    In Strangford, illegal waste management activities are frequent, with 16,000 tonnes of waste tyres being discovered and 30% sent to unknown destinations. Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture has identified 306 illegal waste sites.

  • Jo Gideon Lab Stoke-on-Trent Central

    Welcomed the opportunity to speak on tackling waste crime and highlighted a campaign to clear a site with over 30,000 tonnes of illegal waste. Raised concerns about unscrupulous criminals filling warehouses or plots next to residential properties, presenting health and safety risks. Suggested separating regulation and enforcement authorities due to high levels of crime in the industry.

  • Jonathan Gullis Lab Stoke-on-Trent North

    Described fly-tipping as a serious issue blighting Stoke-on-Trent, urging harsh penalties for offenders. Highlighted concerns about the landfill on Porthill Road in Longport and its impact on local residents' health and wellbeing.

  • Kevan Jones Lab North Durham

    The waste management industry is riddled with criminality and lacks proper regulation, leading to tax evasion and environmental damage. HMRC's Operation Nosedive ended without convictions despite spending £3.5 million over six years. Operators get around Scotland's zero waste strategy by transferring waste over the border to the north-east. Despite raising this with the Scottish Government, no action has been taken. Questioned why HMRC has not had a successful prosecution related to landfill tax in 26 years despite spending £3.5 million on Operation Nosedive. Stressed the need for action and enforcement rather than new regulations.

  • Peter Gibson Lab Darlington

    Peter Gibson discussed fly-tipping in his constituency, highlighting instances where residents have been affected by illegal dumping. He expressed concerns about the inadequacy of current penalties for such crimes and called for better enforcement. Congratulated Aaron Bell on securing the debate and highlighted the ongoing issue of fly-tipping in Darlington, which costs the local authority thousands annually. Praised Darlington Borough Council for taking action but noted more needs to be done. Emphasized the importance of deterrents like bollards and vehicle seizures by authorities.

  • Ruth Jones Lab Newport West

    Acknowledged campaigners in north Staffordshire working to stop emissions from Walleys Quarry and highlighted the stress, concern, and fear caused by hydrogen sulphide emissions. Mentioned 1,207 complaints received by the Environment Agency in a week and the estimated £1 billion annual cost of waste crime in England.

  • Siobhan Baillie Con Stroud

    Waste industry crime costs the taxpayer around £1 billion a year and causes public health issues, with Stroud seeing about 900 instances of fly-tipping annually. Local authorities are dealing with unlicensed waste collectors but need more support from central government for education, penalties, and deterrents.

Government Response

Jo Churchill

The minister thanked Aaron Bell for securing the debate and outlined government efforts to tackle waste crime, including additional funding of £60 million for the Environment Agency since 2014. She mentioned ongoing investigations into allegations of criminal activity at Walleys Quarry and highlighted the landmark Environment Act 2021's powers to enter sites and seize vehicles. The minister also discussed upcoming consultations on electronic waste tracking, consistent collection, carriers, brokers, and dealers licensing regimes, aiming for these reforms to be in place by 2023-24.

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