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• Environment Agency given new powers to tackle the problem of illegal waste sites.
• Powers include ability to lock up sites and force rogue operators to clean up all waste
• Body worn video cameras will be rolled out to all waste enforcement officers

New powers to tackle waste crime come into force today as the Environment Agency is given the authority to lock up illegal waste sites and block access in order to prevent tonnes of waste piling up and posing a risk to the environment.

The Environment Agency has also been granted the power to require rogue operators to clear all the waste at a problem waste site, not just the illegal waste. The changes are in response to a public consultation where 90% of respondents supported proposals for the regulator to take physical steps to curb illegal waste activity.

As the fight against waste crime ramps up, the Environment Agency has also announced that its waste enforcement officers will be equipped with body worn video cameras on their visits to waste sites. The move follows a growing number of abusive incidents during site inspections.

The measures follow an extra £30 million of funding from the Government in November 2017 to tackle waste crime – an issue that drives business away from legitimate operators, blights communities and endangers the environment.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

These new powers will give the Environment Agency the tools they need to curb the rise of waste sites that continue to break the law and blight our communities.

Through our 25 year Environment plan we want to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. As part of that commitment I am determined to crack down on these criminals and these new powers will be crucial in ending this criminal activity once and for all, backed up by £30 million of new money.

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said:

These are tough new sanctions against waste criminals and their unscrupulous activity which not only drains the economy but causes harm to the environment and damages livelihoods across the country. Last year, we closed down more than two illegal waste sites a day, and we’re determined to keep going.

As we step up our fight against waste criminals, we also have a duty to protect our officers who put themselves in potentially hostile situations when they visit sites for inspections or to serve notices. The introduction of the bodycams provides an added deterrent as our officers do the important job of fighting waste crime.

The use of body cameras was first trialled by the Environment Agency in the north east. Footage captured on a bodycam was recently used to bring a conviction against an offender for the first time. The defendant was found guilty of wilfully obstructing the officers in the execution of their duty and using abusive behaviour towards two officers.

Paul Whitehill, Environment Agency waste officer said:

As a former police officer, I’ve seen routine visits rapidly escalate into threatening, or sometimes even violent, situations. Sadly the same risks apply to the Environment Agency’s officers.

We want to get on with our jobs without the threat of violence and the cameras will help to protect staff and bring obstructive individuals to justice.

In the financial year 16/17, the Environment Agency brought 138 prosecutions against businesses or individuals for waste crime offences, yielding more than £2m in fines.

For more information on the trial of the body video cameras, see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-trials-use-of-body-cameras

For more information on the successful prosecution using body worn cameras, see our press release here.

The responses to the 2015 public consultation on increasing EA powers are also available online.

• Alun Cairns will also speak at the CBI North Wales dinner in Deeside, where he will reinforce his commitment to protecting the UK’s internal trade market.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will explore the opportunities that Britain’s EU exit presents at a meeting with local authority leaders in Wrexham later today (Thursday 29 March).

The Welsh Secretary is set to gather leaders of North Wales’ councils at Wrexham Council’s Guildhall to update them on the latest EU Withdrawal Bill developments, and invite views on how the Shared Prosperity Fund should operate in the area.

The meeting comes ahead of the Secretary of State’s keynote speech to the CBI in Deeside this evening, where he is expected to reinforce his commitment to protecting the internal trade market as Britain leaves the EU, given that 80% of Welsh exports go to the rest of the UK.

The North Wales Growth deal will also feature on the agenda, as Mr Cairns seeks views from leaders on the best ways to further strengthen the region’s economy, improve rural digital connectivity and capitalise on connections to the Northern Powerhouse.

The proposals received from the region aim to create 5,300 jobs and attract £1bn of private sector investment to the area over the next 15 years.

Today’s meeting follows similar discussions with South Wales’ local leaders last year, as part of ongoing engagement by the UK Government with Wales’ most prominent economic sectors and authorities as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Effective working relationships between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and local partners will provide the building blocks for economic growth in North Wales as the UK leaves the European Union.

This means grabbing the benefits of the Northern Powerhouse, ensuring growth and prosperity is felt right across a region known for its cross border collaboration.

The UK Government is supporting North Wales in every way it can; taking clear and decisive action to roll out superfast broadband, reforming and modernising the prison estate via HMP Berwyn, creating Industrial Strategy sector deals based on the area’s strengths and backing local leaders to create jobs and generate growth via the North Wales Growth Deal.

I look forward to listening the thoughts of the leaders present and taking those views back to Westminster so that all voices in Wales are heard as we negotiate our exit from EU.

The message will be echoed in Mr Cairns’ evening keynote speech to the CBI in North Wales, where he will highlight the value of Welsh trade and provide an update on the UK Government’s EU exit arrangements.

Alun Cairns added:

Welsh exports are worth over £16 billion a year, but the vast majority of Welsh production stays within the rest of the UK.

That’s why it’s vital that we find routes to new markets outside of the European Union, but also work together to protect our thriving internal market in the UK.

The UK Government is committed to finding a deal that works for everyone, gathering the views from a broad range of sectors and areas in the UK to ensure everyone benefits.

ENDS

• Welsh Secretary joins International Trade Secretary at the second Board of Trade meeting in Preston to boost North Wales-Northern Powerhouse links
• Halen Mon scoop one of the first Board of Trade awards for global export success
• Bangor University students take part in first Ideas Hack programme
• Alun Cairns will also gather North Wales exporters in Wrexham to seek views on the UK Government’s Export Strategy

North Wales’ dynamic mix of major exporters are making a substantial contribution to Wales’ global business ambitions, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said today as he embarks on a series of export themed visits across the north of the UK (29 March).

Mr Cairns will attend the second Board of Trade meeting in Preston this afternoon, convened to help boost exports, attract inward investors and ensure the benefits of free trade are spread equally across the country.

Presided by the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, the Board of Trade brings together prominent figures from business and politics from each part of the UK to provide local expertise and guide the Board on trade and investment matters.

It will coincide with the presentation of the very first Board of Trade Awards, designed to recognise excellence in trade and investment across the whole of the UK.

And leading Welsh exporter Halen Môn will be among the first recipients as their business achievements at home and overseas are lauded at a Board of Trade reception this evening.

Since it began its exporting journey in 2001, Halen Môn has seized the expert support on offer from the UK Government, and now have their products stocked in over 100 British shops including M&S, Waitrose and Harvey Nichols, and can be found in over 22 countries globally.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The UK Government wants to celebrate the achievements of businesses that are demonstrating exceptional innovation, delivering prosperity to their local communities, and championing free trade. Halen Môn are a company doing just that.

I’m delighted to see their name embossed on one of the very first Board of Trade awards handed out today.

Halen Môn’s success is down to the entrepreneurship and dedication of those involved in the company. But Government has also had a part to play. From setting up meetings with buyers in markets ranging from Hong Kong to Singapore, China, Russia and Japan, to helping them navigate the necessary paperwork, we have been ready to support them on every step of their exporting journey.

North Wales’ stamp on the Board of Trade meeting in Lancashire will be strengthened by students from Bangor University who will take part in the first ‘Ideas Hack’ – an initiative that forms part of the Department of International Trade’s National Trade Academy Programme that seek to engender a culture of exporting in our future business leaders.

Working in teams, they will work to develop a new food or drink product and accompany exporting strategy to pitch to a panel of experts in a Dragon’s Den style scenario.

Ahead of the meeting in Preston, Alun Cairns will seek the views of some of North and Mid Wales’ most successful exporters at a meeting in Wrexham to discuss the priorities, opportunities and challenges they face on their exporting journeys around the world.

It is part of a series of engagement opportunities undertaken by the UK Government as part of its Export Strategy review.

Exports from Wales rose by 12.3% to £16.4 billion in the latest year on year figures, and is home to nearly 4,000 exporters with an average value per exporter of more than £4.2million.

Wales is also growing in stature as a destination for inward investment, with latest figures showing that 85 foreign direct investment projects were secured in Wales last year, creating over 2,500 new jobs and safeguarding over 11,000 more.

Only last month, Toyota announced its commitment to building the next generation Auris vehicle at their plant in Derbyshire, and confirmed that the majority of the engines will be sourced from Deeside, helping to secure 3000 jobs across the two sites.

Alun Cairns added:

Export support is a key way that the UK Government can help businesses succeed and grow.

The Export Strategy review will draw on expertise from across government and the private sector, helping us to understand how best to support British companies to take advantage of opportunities in overseas markets.

Throughout this process, I want to see significant input from businesses in Wales, both large and small, to ensure we develop a strategy that meets their needs.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Halen Môn

Situated in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Halen Môn, the Anglesey Sea Salt Company has been making sea salt since 1997, and exporting its products since 2001 when the company joined forces with an American distributor.

Today, Halen Môn’s sea salt is enjoyed across the UK it has been served at the London 2012 Olympics, a Royal Wedding and is a vital ingredient in Green and Blacks Chocolate and Piper’s Crisps. The company continues to build their international reputation and currently exports to more than 15 countries.

In 2015, the company opened a new visitor centre that offers guided tours, tasting sessions and unique insights into how their sea salt is produced. The centre is part of a new salt-cote that the company has built with support from the Welsh Government, the AONB Sustainability Fund, the Lottery Coastal Communities Fund, the Fisheries Local Action Group, and HSBC. The company has also created more than twenty jobs in the local area and supports many more through their ‘local business preferred’ policy of using local suppliers.

The UK Government has assisted with the paperwork required to comply with export and labelling regulations and helped them to establish meetings with potential customers in overseas markets. The company also relied on Welsh and UK Government support to apply for, and successfully obtain Protected Designation of Origin status in 2014, which supports the company’s exporting strategy in Europe and beyond.

Board of Trade

Alun Cairns is joined on the Board of Trade by two expert business advisers from Wales, Lord Rowe Beddoe and Heather Stephens.

Lord Rowe Beddoe has a distinguished international business career and brings with him decades of experience gathered during his years as Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency and Cardiff Airport.

Heather Stephens was part of the small team which launched the insurance group Admiral in 1993 in Cardiff. Since its launch Admiral has grown to become one of the largest private sector employers in Wales with a turnover of more than £2bn. She is also currently the chair and founding member of The Waterloo Foundation, a charity aiming to give grants to companies in the UK & worldwide.

Membership of the Board of Trade is restricted to Privy Councillors.

The only member is

(i) Secretary of State for Department for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade (Chair)

Advisers to the Board

(i) Secretary of State for Scotland

(ii) Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

(iii) Secretary of State for Wales

England (6)

(i) Patricia Hewitt – outgoing Chair of UK India Business Council

(ii) Andrew Mills – CEO Virtualstock

(iii) Collette Roche – Chief of Staff, Manchester Airport

(iv) Marnie Millard – CEO Nichols PLC

(v) Iqbal Ahmed – Chairman, Chief Executive and Founder of Seamark Group

(vi) Edward Timpson – former Minister of State for Children and Families

Scotland (2)

(vii) Brian Wilson – former Trade Minister

(viii) Ian Curle – CEO of Edrington Group

Wales (2)

(ix) Lord Rowe-Beddoe – former Chair of Welsh Development Agency

(x) Heather Stevens – Chair and founding member of The Waterloo Foundation

Northern Ireland (1)

(xi) Mark Nodder (CEO of Wrights Group)

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel this evening.

The PM began by thanking the Chancellor for her strong support and solidarity following the Salisbury attack.

The Chancellor and Prime Minister both agreed on the need to continue to work together to counter increased Russian aggression.

They also discussed the temporary exemption announced by the US in relation to steel and aluminium tariffs.

The two leaders also discussed the importance of the Iran nuclear deal and agreed to stay in touch on these issues.