Written question asked by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Tuesday, 28 February 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 March 2012. It was answered by James Brokenshire (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 March 2012 on behalf of the Home Office.

Biofuels: Manufactured Goods

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle the (a) theft of waste cooking oil and (b) illegal manufacture of biofuel.

Answer: Local crime such as the theft of waste cooking oil is a matter for individual chief constables, and the introduction of police and crime commissioners in November will ensure that police forces are responding to the priorities of local citizens and businesses. More widely, the Home Office is committed to working with retailers to reduce crimes against business. We launched the Business Self Assessment Tool last year which provides guidance to businesses to make them more resilient and reduce their vulnerability to criminals.Biofuel is an important sustainable transport fuel as it both reduces waste and, by replacing fossil fuels, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The Government are therefore seeking to promote its use, including the use of used cooking oil as a source of this fuel.

Secondary information