BMRA welcomes passage of Scrap Metal Dealers Bill

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The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill needs to become law as quickly as possible, according to the BMRA.

Its director general Ian Hetherington welcomed the passing of the third and final reading of the Bill in the House of Lords this week.

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He added: “It is imperative that the Scrap Metal Dealers Bill becomes law as quickly as possible to bring a robust regulatory framework to the metal recycling industry in the fight against metal theft.

“The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 has a number of loopholes, such as the exemption of motor vehicle salvage operators and certain itinerant collectors from the ban on cash payments. These exemptions create an uneven playing field which allows criminal activity to continue to thrive at the expense of legitimate businesses.

“The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill proposes to bring an end to these loopholes by implementing tougher licensing and enforcement to eradicate the industry of unscrupulous dealers who act as conduits for stolen metal.”

Now that it has passed its third reading, the Bill needs to achieve Royal Assent, with implementation of it expected from October.