The chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has written to environment secretary Emma Reynolds MP expressing “deep disappointment” at the government’s response to its waste-crime inquiry, and has invited her to give evidence to explain ministers’ plans to tackle the issue.
Baroness Sheehan, chair of the cross-party Lords committee, wrote to Reynolds on 15 December to say the government had failed to engage with the “depth and breadth” of concerns raised during the committee’s inquiry into waste crime.
In the letter, Sheehan said recent reports of large-scale illegal waste sites across England demonstrate that current action is “not sufficient to deal with the problem”, adding that waste crime remains a “profitable and low-risk business” for organised criminal groups.
The intervention is the latest development in a months-long dispute between the committee and Defra over how waste crime is being addressed.
Background to the inquiry
The Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee published its findings in October following an extensive inquiry that heard evidence from community groups, the Environment Agency, police representatives, ministers and waste-sector experts. The inquiry concluded that serious and organised waste crime is critically under-prioritised, estimating that more than 38 million tonnes of waste are illegally dumped each year.
Peers were highly critical of the Environment Agency, saying it was difficult to rule out “incompetence” as a factor in enforcement failures, and said policing bodies showed a lack of interest in pursuing waste crime. The committee called for an urgent, independent “root-and-branch” review of the national approach, alongside interim targets, improved reporting tools for the public and stronger coordination between agencies.
Government response criticised
Earlier this month, Reynolds rejected the committee’s call for an independent review, arguing that it would divert resources from planned reforms such as Digital Waste Tracking and changes to the waste-carrier licensing regime. She said the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) was intended to coordinate partners rather than directly enforce the law, and questioned the practicality of deeper national-level engagement with more than 300 local authorities.
Baroness Sheehan subsequently described the response as “complacent”, warning it risked emboldening organised waste criminals. The committee has also raised concerns about the Environment Agency’s evidence to the inquiry, questioning whether significant illegal sites were omitted from data provided to peers.
Call for oral evidence
In her latest letter, Sheehan (pictured left) said witnesses to the inquiry highlighted systemic failures, including slow regulatory responses, poor coordination between public bodies, limited enforcement capacity and weak deterrents. She noted that waste crime is estimated to cost the public purse around £1bn a year, arguing that enforcement spending delivers a strong return on investment.
Sheehan has now invited Reynolds to appear before the committee “at the earliest possible opportunity” to explain, in person, how the government intends to reduce waste crime and set out clear timelines for reform.
Defra has previously said it is increasing funding for waste-crime enforcement and working with the Environment Agency to strengthen action against illegal operators. It has not yet responded publicly to the committee’s latest letter.