The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill.

Thanks to Thames Valley Police for bringing our attention to this news, which when implemented in 2013 should make a positive difference to the metal theft problem we are currently experiencing in this country.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Richard Ottaway MP (Croydon South), received its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 13 July.

Key features of the proposed new regime proposed in the Bill include:

• the ability for local authorities to refuse and revoke a [Scrap Metal]licence
• giving courts the power to close unlicensed dealers
• requiring dealers to verify the identity of sellers
• banning cash transactions for the whole industry without exemption
• creating a single publically available national register of licence holders maintained by the Environment Agency

The Bill enters Committee stage in the House of Commons in September. Private Members’ Bills have limited time available to clear their parliamentary passage, but subject to it doing so, it will receive Royal Assent in spring 2013 with implementation later that year.