Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted
We asked the Agency about its efforts to stop illegal exports and its performance in...
Recommendation
We asked the Agency about its efforts to stop illegal exports and its performance in doing so. In response, the Agency highlighted the waste it successfully prevents being illegally exported, saying it prevented about 18,000 tonnes last year.84 Over the five years to 2020–21, on average two-thirds of the waste the Agency stopped was intercepted at the originating waste site; the Agency’s estimate of the revenue to the economy from the waste it stops at site averages £1.3 million per year over this period.85 The other third of the waste the Agency stopped was at intercepted at ports; in this period the Agency inspected around 1,100 containers per year on average.86 However, the Agency acknowledged that it does not know how much waste is illegally exported despite its efforts.87 Describing it as a conservative estimate, the Environmental Services Association told us that around 400,000 tonnes of waste are exported illegally each year, costing the economy £42 million.88
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and the Environment Agency provided a written response to the committee on November 30th. HMRC is also collaborating with the agency to produce an estimate of the scale of illegal exports and the potential losses to the exchequer that considers all available data whilst identifying data gaps.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6. PAC conclusion: We are concerned that the Agency is not doing enough to prevent the illegal export of waste. 6. PAC recommendation: The Agency should write to us within six weeks setting out what actions would be required to enable it to understand the true scale of illegal waste exports and what further action it might take to prevent them. 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented 6.2 A response has been provided to the Committee by Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, sent to the committee on the 30th of November. 6.3 HMRC is also collaborating with the agency to produce an estimate of the scale of illegal exports and the potential losses to the exchequer that considers all available data whilst identifying data gaps.