§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many on-the-spot fines were levied for litter offences in England in(a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.[12418]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 5 November 2001]: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, litter wardens can issue a £25 fixed penalty to anyone who drops litter and refuses to dispose of it properly. These penalty notices are not on-the-spot fines but can be paid 150W within 14 days of an offence occurring. If the money is not paid within 14 days the litterer can be prosecuted and if convicted face a maximum fine of £2,500.
In the period 1997–98, 727 litter fixed penalties were issued by local authorities in England, of which 660 were paid. The last year from which figures are available is the period 1999–2000 where 2,970 fixed penalty notices were issued of which 1,563 were paid.