Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has condemned the declining number of convictions for fly tipping in his constituency.
The total number of convictions decreased from 22 in 2009-10 to just 10 in 2012-13, according to data provided to Gavin by the Ministry for Justice. Furthermore, the maximum sentence was handed out in none of these cases.
Nationally, the numbers of convictions declined from 1,288 to 1118, with just one person receiving the maximum sentence in 2012-13.
Gavin recently contacted the Minister for Justice, The Rt. Hon. Jeremy Wright MP, urging him to issue guidance on stricter sentences for fly-tippers.
In response, the Minister assured Gavin that new sentencing guidelines for environmental issues would take effect on July 1st, 2014.
Mr. Wright said: “The Government is concerned by the damage to the environment that fly-tipping and other unlawful deposits of waste can cause. That is why we have provided law enforcement agencies and the courts with powers to deal with such offending.
“In regard to sentencing, the independent Sentencing Council conducted a consultation on environmental offences which will take effect on 1 July 2014. Judges and magistrates are required to follow the guidelines unless it would not be in the interests of justice to do so.”
Gavin said: “I am delighted that new guidelines on sentencing will be coming in to play, this July, and hope that these will result in more severe penalties for fly-tipping criminals and increase the current rubbish rate of convictions.
“However, we cannot afford to get complacent. In addition to harsher sentences, we need to ensure that our police are doing the utmost to catch these environmental vandals so that they are called to account for their crimes.”
