Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Jason McCartney (Conservative). It was answered by Baroness May of Maidenhead (Conservative) on Monday, 6 February 2012 on behalf of the Home Office.

Metal Theft

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made in tackling metal theft.

Answer: The Government take the growing problem of metal theft very seriously. Last week I announced legislative measures to the House that will significantly raise the penalties for rogue dealers and ban cash payments for scrap metal. These measures are part of a coherent package to tackle metal theft. We are strengthening the law, cracking down on rogue dealers and targeting the criminals who supply them, including through the funding of a £5 million national metal theft taskforce.

Secondary information