Search Legislation

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013

Background

9.The recent growth of metal theft offences, driven by increased commodity costs, has highlighted the ineffectiveness of the existing registration scheme in the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 which has not prevented the scrap metal industry being the central market for stolen metal.

10.In 2010/11, the Home Office estimated that there were 80,000-100,000 reported metal theft offences a year which cost the economy at least £220-£260m (Deloitte, 2011) and up to £777m per year (the Association of Chief Police Officers, 2010). The impact of metal theft was felt across the United Kingdom by a range of sectors – including national transport infrastructure, electricity and telecommunication links; street furniture; heritage buildings; memorials; and commercial and residential buildings.

11.It was widely considered that regulatory reform of the scrap metal sector was needed. Initial legislative steps to: prohibit cash payments for scrap metal; amend police powers of entry into unregistered scrap metal sites; and increase the existing financial penalties for offences in the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 were contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which amended the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. These were brought into force in December 2012.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.