Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has welcomed the decision by MPs to back legislation to make scrap dealers register their businesses to help crack down on metal theft which doesn’t just damage business but can put lives at risk.
The Bill was passed in the Commons just 24 hours after Alex used Business Questions – which the Government uses to announce what will happen in Parliament in the coming weeks – to challenge the Leader of the House of Commons on whether the Government would give meaningful support to measures to tackle metal theft and deal with unscrupulous dealers.
The Private-Members Bill to tackle the problem was presented to the House of Commons on Friday with cross-party support. The legislation passed and will now be considered by the House of Lords. This happened however despite the actions of several Conservative MPs, who attempted to sabotage the Bill by tabling over 100 amendments and artificially extending the debate.
Alex MP said:
“I was pleased to see that the Scrap Metal Dealers Bill passed the House of Commons, and will now get a chance to become the law, however I am shocked that backbench Tory MPs would attempt to vandalise the legislation by adding over 100 unnecessary measures that threatened its passage.
“This Bill will help to prevent the shocking vandalism of war memorials, and the theft of manhole covers which has been a problem in my Stockton North constituency and I hope the Government will now ensure it passes through the House of Lords and quickly into law.”
