London: An important question has been raised by the Conservatives as to what effect increasing landfill tax has on the fly-tipping of waste materials. These materials are general collected and treated at the expense of council tax payers, though significant costs are also incurred by landowners (see MoreThanWaste article).
The question was raised in House of Commons by Mr Eric Pickles, Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, and Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary.
In her written response, the Minister for climate change, biodiversity and waste, Joan Ruddock said that no formal assessment has been made.
The Minister said:
"However, the Government are monitoring levels of fly-tipping and ways in which the effects can be mitigated. In April 2004, the Flycapture database was set up to help local authorities and the Environment Agency improve information on the scale of fly-tipping and to help focus resources and identify trends in this growing environmental crime."
She continued, "Flycapture is enabling central and local government to demonstrate the true nature, extent and scale of fly-tipping, both nationally and locally. The data is being used to develop more effective, evidence-based policies and strategies".
According to Mrs Ruddock, Defra has also funded a research report by the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science into the causes of and incentives for fly-tipping.
There is of course no single cause of fly-tipping but a number of separate ones.
The Minister considered that assessing the specific effect of the landfill tax on fly-tipping would be extremely difficult. The number of different causes of fly-tipping, some of which may need to coincide before a person decides to act illegally, was one reason for this difficulty.
Enforcement and other prevention activity undertaken by the Environment Agency and local authorities was another important factor in discouraging illegal activity.
Mrs Ruddock indicated in her response that research recognises that one of these causes may be the cost of legitimate waste disposal. However landfill tax is an important instrument in reducing the UK's reliance on landfill and helping the movement of wastes management up the waste hierarchy to more sustainable waste management options.
The increase in landfill tax, standard rate increases of £8 per tonne until at least 2010/11, is sending a strong signal that changes in behaviour are required, while at the same time allowing businesses time to adjust and make the necessary investment in alternative waste treatment routes, according to Mrs Ruddock.
[Increases in landfill tax must inevitably have a direct impact on fly-tipping with consequent costs of clearance falling on council tax payers and land owners. While the reasons for escalating landfill tax are well established and the success in recycling continues to grow, it seems inequitable that central Government reaps the financial benefits of the tax, while consequential costs have to be borne locally. Perhaps this would be an opportunity for some recompense to be made to local authorities and landowners for clearance of fly-tipped materials, to be paid out of the substantial revenues deriving from landfill tax - Editor]