Clause 19 - Litter offence: fixed penalty notices
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill
2:45 pm
Ms Sue Doughty (Shadow Minister (the Environment), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Guildford, Liberal Democrat)
I thank the Minister for his positive approach to the amendments. This is an important point. When the Environmental Audit Committee produced its report ''Environmental Crime and the Court'', two concerns emerged loud and clear from witness after witness, and from the memorandums that the Committee received. The first, which is not relevant to this debate, was that people thought that the fines given in court were not high enough and that courts were not sentencing to the level that they were allowed to. Secondly, however, people were concerned that fines were sometimes a blunt instrument, which did not take account of income and ability to pay.
I very much appreciate the Minister's points and I shall withdraw the amendment, but before I do, I want to press him a little further. Given what he said about considering a more creative approach, when the Bill becomes law will he be able to incorporate in his guidelines something along the lines of our amendment and others that will be tabled later?