Clause 44 - Forfeiture of vehicles

Part of Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:00 am on 25 January 2005.

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Photo of Nigel Evans Nigel Evans Conservative, Ribble Valley 11:00, 25 January 2005

I have no doubt that if cowboys are going around serially offending they should lose their vehicles. They should pay a hefty price: that is the only thing that will prevent them from offending in future. If they received a fine and lost their vehicle and its contents, I would have no doubt that they would not re-offend. I referred to changing the culture. We may look at these clauses again in a few years' time and say that we have changed the culture on the disposal of waste, just as we have on smoking in public places and so on. The first time that someone is caught tipping a mattress on a bit of open land, they will lose their car straight away—one strike and you're out. What I want, and what I think the Minister is trying to achieve in the Bill, is to get it into the mindset of the public, whether they are in business or private householders, that tipping is a serious offence and that offenders could not only receive a fine, but lose their vehicles. I therefore support the clause.