Government to tackle metal theft in legal aid bill

The government will push forward legislation to crack down on the metal theft that is driving up insurance premiums for churches and other historic buildings, Insurance Times has learned.

Labour MP Graham Jones’s personal ten-minute rule bill on preventing metal theft was blocked in the House of Commons last Friday.

But Jones said that government sources have indicated the bill’s contents will be tacked onto the Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill, which is currently going through the House of Lords.

Jones’s bill suggests a ban on scrap metal dealers paying cash for metal and tightening regulation of the scrapyards where many thieves offload stolen metal.

Home secretary Theresa May will introduce uncapped fines for anyone caught dealing stolen metal and will ban cash payment for the metal, according to the Telegraph.

The problem costs the UK economy £770m every year, according to the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Jones said: “It’s such a serious issue that the government wanted to be seen to be acting.”

But the Hyndburn MP said that melding the bills together would cause some procedural headaches, as the legal aid bill has already been passed by the Commons.