Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
Eighteenth Report - Government actions to combat waste crime
Published 19 Oct 2022
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Government actions to combat waste crime All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Waste tracking data is currently collected in multiple systems: some paper-based and some digital, some operated by private contractors and some by the government; not all information is collated centrally.34 Since the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, the government has intended to collect more comprehensive tracking data in a single, central electronic system: digital waste tracking.35 The plans currently under consultation are to cover the 200 million tonnes of waste produced each year across the UK, and to capture 10 pieces of information (such as the waste classification, waste movements and waste treatment) from the point of production to the end of its life.36 Digital waste tracking underpins the Agency’s and Defra’s plans to measure progress against the overarching goal of eradicating waste crime.37 Defra also told us that digital waste tracking is part of strengthening the regulatory system for waste and will make a big difference.38 The Environment Agency said that data from digital waste tracking will enable waste crime to be identified, and allow the Agency and its partners to target their resources much more effectively to tackle or even prevent that waste crime.39
From: Public Accounts Committee, Eighteenth Report - Government actions to combat waste crime (HC 33), 19 October 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 December 2022 (deadline 19 December 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it agrees with the Committee's recommendations on waste crime, listing most as "implemented" and giving target dates for others.
- On the Resources and Waste Strategy, the government agrees with the recommendation, while noting that "some delivery has been slower than originally planned"; it lists planned reforms including digital waste tracking and reform of the waste carriers, brokers and dealers' regime, both "planned for 2024".
- On landfill tax, the government agrees and says the Landfill Tax Review would consider the structure of the tax and "the impacts of any proposed changes to this on waste crime"; HMRC is to report on its approach to investigations, with a target date of December 2022.
- On sanctions, the government agrees and notes that the Sentencing Council is responsible for sentencing guidance and the courts make "independent decisions"; the department "intends to conduct new research" into enforcement of small scale fly-tipping, "anticipated to commence in early 2023".
- On the digital waste tracking contract, the government agrees; it is "anticipated that the contract will be let by the end of 2022" and the department "will write to inform the Committee" when this happens.