asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the imposition of penalties for minor littering and waste disposal offences, which may be disproportionately high in relation to the nuisance caused, will foster respect for the law.[HL7965]

The current level of fixed penalty notice fine (for example, £75 for the litter offence issued under Section 88 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) is not considered to be disproportionately high, given that these offences collectively have a large cost to the wider community. Today, the annual cost to keep our streets clean is in excess of £500 million.

Further, should an individual wish to dispute a fixed penalty notice, they are then liable to prosecution for the original offence in the magistrates' court, where the court will determine the level of fine, should they be found guilty.