Consultation outcome

Strengthening environmental civil sanctions

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 4 April 2023
• Last updated: 12 July 2023 — See all updates

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Summary of responses and government response

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Detail of outcome

There were 105 responses to the consultation. The vast majority of respondents supported changing the £250,000 cap on variable monetary penalties under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 and a majority supported removing the cap entirely. The vast majority of respondents also supported the introduction of variable monetary penalties to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

The government will shortly amend legislation to remove the caps on variable monetary penalties so that such penalties will be unlimited and introduce them to the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

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Original consultation

Summary

Seeking views on increasing the cap on variable monetary penalties (VMPs) for environmental offences in England and introducing VMPs to the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
12:15am on 4 April 2023 to 11:45pm on 15 May 2023

Consultation description

The government wants to strengthen the Environment Agency’s ability to issue monetary penalties for a wider range of environmental offences in England.

We want to know what you think about these changes, including:

• increasing the cap on variable monetary penalties from £250,000 to £25 million, £250 million or unlimited (no cap)
• introducing variable monetary penalties into the Environmental Permitting Regulations

Published 4 April 2023
Last updated 12 July 2023 + show all updates

1. 12 July 2023

   We have published the summary of responses and government response.

2. 4 April 2023

   First published.