§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the circumstances under which the Environment Agency treats the movement of waste as an unacceptable risk to public health. [134451]
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§ Mr. MorleyBecause fly-tipping is a serious offence, it attracts penalties of up to £20,000 or six months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court, or an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court. Fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping are not being considered as it could give a confusing message as to the seriousness of the offence.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has commissioned into fly-tipping; and if she will make a statement. [133104]
§ Mr. MorleyEnvironmental Campaigns (ENCAMS), a Defra sponsored organisation, recently carried out a study to provide in formation on fly-tipping. The report is available from the ENCAMS website (http://www.encams.org).
The Environment Agency have also conducted some research which has considered the types and volumes of waste illegally deposited on agricultural land. Details of this report will be published soon.
Defra are currently developing an comprehensive research project to collect data on the causes of fly-tipping, an analysis of types and locations of fly-tipped waste, consideration of how fly-tipping might best be prevented and the effect that various waste management policies, both national and local, are having and will have on fly-tipping levels. Results should be available late next year.