To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated by his Department to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime in the 2025-26 financial year; and whether he plans to allocate additional funding to support regional enforcement partnerships.
Answered on
2 July 2025
In 2025/26 the Government is providing £12 million to the Environment Agency (EA) to tackle waste crime. It is for the EA to decide how much of this is directed to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), but in the current year it is funding 18 posts, an increase of 8 compared to 2024/25.
The EA is not the only contributor to JUWC capability; with permanent or time-limited resources being provided by other bodies.