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

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Download 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.

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
to

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. We have published the summary of responses and government response.

  2. First published.