To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many prosecutions were brought against illegal fly tippers in Greater London during the last 12 months period for which figures are available; and what were the figures for similar periods during the preceding five years.

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department that the most recent available information held centrally about prosecutions in the Metropolitan police area under section 2 of the Refuse Disposal Amenity Act 1978 and section 3 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 is as set out in the table.

	Prosecutions
1984	66
1985	53
1986	70

Prosecutions under section 3 of the 1974 Act include those for the breach of licence conditions as well as those for the unlicensed deposit of waste. This information may, however, be incomplete. Information for earlier years is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to allow prosecutions to be taken against employers or vehicle owners in cases of illegal fly tipping.

The prosecution of the employers of fly-tippers is already possible where it can be shown that they caused or permitted the fly tipping offence to take place. I am considering the possibility of making the registered owner of a vehicle used for fly-tipping liable to prosecution as part of the review of waste disposal legislation.