§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will increase the resources devoted to controlling fly tipping.[16394]
§ Angela EagleThe responsibility for monitoring illegal fly tipping, clearance of the wastes involved and pursuing offenders lies with a number of organisations including local authorities, the Police and the Environment Agency. My Department has no conclusive evidence that fly tipping in England is increasing. However the Environment Agency is continuing to monitor the situation closely and is working with the other bodies to implement a three-part strategy: First, to enhance co-operation with local authorities to monitor and control fly tipping and prosecute offenders—an emergency hotline number has been established and widely published for information on vehicles and individuals involved on fly tipping to be given; secondly, to gather the more reliable information needed, the Agency is working with the Tidy Britain Group to produce a comprehensive study of the incidence of fly tipping before and after the introduction of the Landfill Tax. It is intended that this report will be published in Spring 1998. It should assist the Agency and others, particularly local authorities, to respond to fly tipping in a co-ordinated, proportionate and effective manner; thirdly, the Agency continues to work with a broad range of partners including trade associations, landowners and local government to encourage good waste management practice.
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