BMRA shares Labour MP David Hanson’s concerns that the SMDA is weakening in the face of a positive market environment.
British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has repeatedly petitioned Government throughout 2017 to take action to combat the steadily rising incidents of metal theft and to tackle the increasing number of operators openly paying cash for scrap metal. In order to do this, BMRA lobbied for the reinstatement of the Metal Theft Taskforce.
“We believe that operators who are willing to break the law and openly pay cash for scrap metal are, by default, more likely to accept stolen metal. If Government was to reinstate the Metal Theft Taskforce, and use it to tackle cash-paying operators, it would quickly reduce the number of disposal outlets for stolen material,” said Robert Fell, Chief Executive, BMRA.
“When we share our concerns about the number of cash-paying operators, we have been told that it is a matter of enforcement by police services and local authorities. Yet, with police and local authority budgets being cut, the inference is that the issue of cash payment is a ‘victimless’ crime and therefore an issue that is of lesser importance when it comes to allocating budget.”
As a result, in its response to the Home Office’s Review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, the Association called for the Act to be strengthened in several ways, including making it an equivalent summary offence to receive cash for scrap metal not just to pay cash, and bringing greater rigour to local authority’s role in regulating scrap metal dealers.
BMRA is keenly awaiting the publication of the Home Office’s findings of the review of the Act and hopeful that it will reflect the concerns shared by the Association and the other 50+ respondents, including the many victims of metal theft.
Contact
Antonia Grey
e. [email protected]
t. (0) 1480 455249
Notes for editors:
- BMRA is a founding member of the Alliance for Combatting Metal Theft, an initiative set up to bring attention to the issue, and impact, of metal theft.
- Funding for the Metal Theft Taskforce was withdrawn at the end of 2014.
- BMRA represents over 260 metal recyclers who, between them, handle over 90% of the UK’s recycled metal and form part of a £7bn business, which employs more than 15,0000 people.
- The metal recycling industry is proud of its role in safeguarding the environment for future generations. Not only does recycling reduce the need for new mines, it also conserves water and energy, and significantly reduces levels of CO2 being released.
