To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that licence holders not local authorities pay costs arising from fires at waste disposal sites.

The cost of waste disposal should be borne by the operator of a waste management site, including clearance after a waste fire. The Environment Agency has various powers under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. It may serve notice on an operator who is in contravention of an environmental permit to take steps to remedy the situation, including the removal of waste. Where the Environment Agency considers that there is a risk of serious pollution from a regulated facility, it may take steps to remove the risk and charge back the costs to the operator.

Fire and Rescue Authorities have a statutory duty under section 7 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to extinguish fires and to protect life and property in their areas. The Government has no plans to amend the legislation to enable Fire and Rescue Authorities to charge for these functions.