The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012, and sets out changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 that currently regulates the scrap metal industry. The changes aim to remove the rewards that make metal theft such a low risk criminal enterprise for metal theives and unscrupulous dealers.
The revised legislation creates a new criminal offence which prohibits scrap metal dealers from paying for scrap metal other than by cheque or electronic transfer. For the purpose of the offence, 'paying' includes payments of kind using goods or services.
The Act also increase significantly the fines available for key offences under existing Scrap metal Dealers Act 1964.
There are two classes of scrap metal dealers; those with stores (or yards) and itinerant (without a store or yard). Both need to be registered with the council.
Businesses with yards need to keep records of the type and quantity of scrap they deal in. These records have to be available for inspection.
Online form:
Timescale
We aim to deal with grant and renewal registrations within 70 days. Tacit consent applies. This means that you will be able to act as though your registration is granted/renewed if you have not heard from us by the end of the above application period.
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