§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with farmers about fly tipping and landfill taxes; and if she will make a statement. [79238]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 4 November 2002]: Defra Ministers hold many meetings with farming organisations to discuss all manner of topics. However, there have been no recent meetings to discuss fly tipping specifically. The Government is, however, keen to find out more about the causes of fly tipping and has commissioned research into fly tipping on agricultural land.
587WFly tipped waste is a blight on our countryside and towns. There are stringent controls in place to ensure that waste is dealt with properly. Where waste is disposed of illegally, it is clearly essential that steps are taken to dispose of the waste safely and properly to eliminate the risk of environmental pollution or harm to human health. The Environment Agency and local authorities, in their role as waste collection authority, may themselves take steps to remove fly tipped waste. DEFRA works closely with the fly tipping stakeholders forum to develop practical ways to combat the problem.
A Tidy Britain Group Report Effects of the Landfill Tax on Fly Tipping (published in 1998) did not establish any clear link between the tax and increased fly tipping. Indeed, the Report states that in 1997–98, domestic waste was, overall, the type of fly tipped waste most frequently collected by local authorities. As the tax does not directly affect householders it is unlikely to cause householders to fly tip waste. Moreover, each Waste Disposal Authority has a duty under section 51 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to provide civic amenity sites for the deposit of household waste.