Lord Roborough (Con)

My Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing forward these regulations. I refer the Grand Committee to my interest as a landowner. To confirm my noble friend Lady McIntosh’s comments, I am a victim of illegal waste disposal on a daily basis. I have also experienced a licenced waste haulier illegally processing waste and disposing of it on my land, and I received a very weak response from the Environment Agency. These regulations were enabled by the Environment Act 2021, passed under the previous Government, in which we announced the introduction of digital waste tracking to help local authorities crack down on waste crime. We on these Benches remain committed to tackling waste crime. Some 57% of landowners and farmers have been impacted, and we know there have been serious failings in the Environment Agency’s performance. We need effective deterrents and police powers, which we fought for in our amendments to the then Crime and Policing Bill, which were often missed opportunities for this Government. This digitalised tracking scheme will create a singular way for the Environment Agency to track waste, replacing the fragmented way in which is it regulated now. This will make it easier to monitor waste at both the national and local levels, to ensure it is handled in compliance with the law, rather than allowing waste crime to go under the radar. What assurance can the Minister offer the Grand Committee, after numerous large-scale examples of the EA apparently ignoring enforcement on illegal waste sites, that the EA will be more aggressive in using this information to prevent and prosecute offences? We also understand that these regulations make provisions for those who are digitally excluded, including those who choose not to use electronic equipment due to their personal beliefs. I would appreciate some clarity from the Minister about how these exemptions are determined and approved and how many waste operators the Government estimate will fall into this category. Is it really possible to be a licensed waste operator in this century if you are unable to achieve a minimum level of digital proficiency? We cannot allow this well-intentioned provision inadvertently to undermine the digital tracking system.