A couple of weeks ago DEFRA held their first departmental questions with the new Secretary of State Ranil Jayawardena MP and the then Waste Minister Steve Double MP. I was very grateful to the Speaker for squeezing me in at the end. These questions happened on the morning of the day Her Majesty The Queen passed away, and I did not think it appropriate to post my question at the time, nor during the national period of mourning.
These questions came the day after the EA announced their formal regulatory investigation, so I took the opportunity to once again welcome the new Secretary of State to his place and invite him up to see the landfill and the impact it is having on local people for himself. I noted the importance of getting both the new regulatory investigation and the criminal investigation concluded as soon as possible so that the community get justice and we see true accountability for what the community has endured.
Additionally I have already spoken to the new Waste Minister, Trudy Harrison MP, who replaced Mr Double in the reshuffle. I know she is just as well briefed on our issue and her officials are making sure she gets weekly updates on Walley's Quarry.