The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 provides a mandatory licensing regime for the metal recycling industry, which is worth about £7 billion per annum.
It bans trading in cash and creates new criminal offences that carry unlimited fines. Since it came into force on 1 October 2013, there has been no case law clarifying its meaning and scope, although its meaning is potentially broad, and perhaps broader than was intended.
In the absence of guidance from the courts, this book aims to place the Act in context and highlight its ambiguities and possibilities. It contains a chapter on data protection, as an extension of the Act’s identity and record keeping requirements.