AQW 10838/11-15
Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim
Tabled Date: 24/04/2012
Answered On Date: 03/05/2012
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of the Environment to detail (i) how many people were convicted of littering offences last year; (ii) how much revenue was raised from the resulting fines; and (iii) what further measures he is taking to combat this problem.
Answer:
District Councils are much more likely to issue on-the-spot fines to litter offenders instead of seeking convictions through the courts. Therefore, figures for convictions are quite low compared to those for on-the-spot fines. The latest information held by the Department shows that 133 people were convicted by the courts for littering offences in the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 and a total of £7,707 in fines and £5,935 in court costs were imposed. By contrast, in the same period, district councils issued 3,930 £50 fines for littering offences resulting in a total of £150,268 received. Information for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 will not be compiled and verified until August 2012. Litter is still a major problem costing Councils and therefore ratepayers a lot of money to clean up. Despite the ongoing good work to tackle the problem by District Councils and, for example, Tidy Northern Ireland. Voluntary groups and many concerned residents in local communities also seek to tackle the problems through the current series of Big Spring Clean events. Since becoming Minister of the Environment I have taken part, along with many other concerned and dedicated volunteers, in a number of Big Spring Clean events and in doing so I have become much more aware of the extent of the environmental impact caused by litter and how it can spoil the visible appearance of local beauty spots. I am determined to do all that I can to help to deal with this pernicious problem. Litter in all of its forms e.g. bottles, cans, cigarette butts, chewing gum, if left unchecked, is an eyesore which leads to dirty and unhealthy local environments. Also local beauty spots, including our beaches and countryside, can also be spoiled by litter which can be detrimental to our tourist industry. There are a number of measures which I am bringing forward to help to deal with the litter problem. These include the development of a Marine Litter Strategy, the introduction of a carrier bag levy and the bringing into operation on 1 April 2012 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2011. Also Departmental funding to Tidy Northern Ireland has been increased to help with the organisation’s work to make Northern Ireland a cleaner and more pleasant place in which to live. Tidy Northern Ireland’s work, for example, in relation to the Big Spring Clean, the Eco-schools Programme, the Clean Coast Programme and its ongoing monitoring of local environmental cleanliness makes an important contribution to raising awareness and helping to reduce the overall litter problem. The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 contains significant measures specifically designed to strengthen the law to help district councils to deal more effectively with the scourge of litter. I was pleased to bring the Act into operation on 1 April 2012 and I look forward to positive results in the future in terms of better local environmental cleanliness once the Act begins to have an impact. This Act introduced bigger on-the-spot fines for litter offenders and a range of other measures. For example, it gives district councils new powers to issue litter clearing notices to require businesses and individuals to clear litter from their land. By utilising the new powers introduced by the Act, district councils will be able to deal more effectively with litter on land in private ownership and will also be able to enter the land, clear it of litter and impose a reasonable charge on the person who failed to comply with the notice. Bigger on-the-spot fines for litter offenders together with the stronger anti-litter laws generally should send out a strong message to people who litter to think about the quality of their environments. Bigger fines should act as an effective deterrent against littering in the future. From 1st April 2012 Councils will be able to impose fines of up to £80 on people who litter – this is a significant increase on the previous £50. There is now a real determination to tackle the litter problem more effectively than before so that we can all look forward to a cleaner Northern Ireland in the future.
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