Prime Minister's question asked in the House of Commons, by Jonathan Shaw (Labour). It was answered on Wednesday, 26 October 2005 on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Engagements

Question: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act of 1978—which perhaps was not Labour's finest year for keeping the streets clean—has now been replaced by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, providing local authorities with the opportunity to get landowners to clear up their act or risk being fined? What level of scrutiny will the Government maintain to ensure that local authorities use those powers? People are fed up with looking at the eyesore of rubbish in their neighbourhood.

Answer: My hon. Friend is right that we need to ensure not only that we pass legislation such as the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act as part of our wider drive to establish respect for our communities, but that local authorities use that legislation to deliver. Certainly, under the Act local authorities will have greater powers to tackle the fly-tipping that is costing them more than £44 million a year to clear up. Landowners and occupiers who have had their chance to clear away fly-tipped waste will now be able to recover their clearance costs, but we do need to ensure that local authorities use the legislation, put it into effect and deliver.

Secondary information