NI Environment Minister, Edwin Poots has said he believes everyone in Northern Ireland will benefit from the introduction of the new Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill.

Speaking during an Assembly debate on the Bill, Mr Poots said: "The main purpose of the Bill is to contribute to everyone’s quality of life. Clean and tidy neighbourhoods help to engender a sense of pride in their residents. People also feel safer in such neighbourhoods and feel more at ease in their local surroundings."

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The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill is designed to help district councils to deal more effectively with a wide range of day-to-day problems which impact on the quality of local environments across Northern Ireland.

Mr Poots added: "The Bill will help bring about positive benefits In terms of tourism, reducing anti-social behaviour and making all of us think more about the environment in which we live. It should also help to reduce the massive street cleaning costs faced by district councils.

"The Bill will show, for example, that this Assembly intends, through the introduction of stronger legislation and higher fines, to get tough with those who continue to litter and deface our streets and public spaces."

The Bill was introduced in the Assembly on 22 June 2010 and brought forward by Mr Poots following the completion of a public consultation exercise earlier this year.

NS