We protect data, why not our ‘beautiful’ litter-strewn countryside? – Tom Richmond

I refer to the proliferation of litter, and detritus, in beauty spots, parks and, regrettably, my local lake since the lockdown was lifted.

It’s a disgrace – and this before council officials performed miracles to clear up the mess left by Leeds United fans celebrating the team’s promotion.

Some will say litter per se is the fault of local authorities, like Leeds, and they should spend more public money clearing up the mess.

I disagree. It’s called personal responsibility and the problem is that the culprits – a selfish minority – know they won’t be caught.

But this could change if it was possible – more so at a time when cash transactions are being discouraged on health grounds – to trace discarded litter and rubbish, including discarded fish and chop boxes, back to the original purchaser so a penalty, say £100, could be imposed as a deterrent effect.

All that is required is the ability to link the bar code to the bank account of the purchaser in order to establish the identity of the person concerned.

The onus would then be on them to prove their innocence – they’d still be liable if their children had erred – and explain why items they purchased were abandoned. Draconian? Yes. Big Brother-like? Yes. Necessary? Yes.

In the meantime, pressure needs to be maintained on Ministers – Michael Gove in particular – to get on with the deposit return scheme for plastic bottles that he’s previously promised.

And I’ll do my bit by following the example of those volunteers who do pick up the rubbish and litter of others on their walk.

But it’s a thanklesss task and now needs the co-operation of banks, and shops, to identify offenders – and then name, shame and fine them.

Believe me, it would only need a handful of cases, and resulting publicity, to make a lasting difference. For the better.

EVEN though Parliament’s summer recess has been cut, proceedings are still on hold until September 1.

It also gives MPs and peers an extra day away from Westminster – tradition now dictates that business resumes on a Tuesday rather than a Monday.

Yet, given the continuing Covid-19 crisis, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle must not hesitate to recall Parliament when necessary – the technology now exists for Ministers to be questioned remotely by Opposition leaders and backbenchers.

It’s also the time for Downing Street to have a ‘‘trial run’’ for the televised daily briefings that it now wants to introduce – clear communication is going to matter more than ever if new face mask rules, and so on, are to be observed. And enforced.

THE importance of scrutiny was self-evident on Monday when Matt Hancock, the Health and Social Secretary, threw a temper tantrum.

He didn’t like the tone of his opposite number Jonathan Ashworth’s questioning so he accused the Labour front bencher of “looking in the rear view mirror”; “sniping from the sidelines” and “playing to his base”.

But, for the record, the Minister ignored Mr Ashworth’s question about whether Ruth May, the chief nursing officer, was dropped from the 10 Downing Street daily press conferences because she disagreed with the PM’s chief aide Dominic Cummings?

And Mr Hancock also overlooked the question about Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s summer statement and the omission of extra money for social care.

Legitimate questions, it is unbecoming of any Secretary of State – especially one as fallible as Matt Hancock – to demand total acquiescence from their opponents. It is not how it works, Minister.

COMMUNICATION is a clear weakness at Matt Hancock’s ministry which was, once again, admonished this week for overlooking / ignoring (delete as appropriate) correspondence from MPs.

It followed a question last month from Labour MP Conor McGinn on the cessation of a scheme which saw two million Reception and Year One pupils receive a piece of healthy fruit or a vegetable every day as part of a public health initiative introduced in 2004.

Suspended at the start of the lockdown, schools – as well local growers and suppliers – were left none the wiser.

Yet a quick email from The Yorkshire Post to the Department of Health and Social Care prompted this swift response.

“The school fruit and vegetable scheme will resume as normal in autumn when all children return to school, providing daily fresh produce for pupils and helping every child have a healthy start to life,” said Public Health Minister Jo Churchill.

Good. Why couldn’t they have told MPs this in the first place?

I THINK Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew still had his tongue in his cheek when he wound up a Commons debate on Wednesday by telling a colleague: “If my Hon friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (Jonathan Gullis) backs me in the next leadership bid, I will ensure that china from Stoke is stocked in Chequers.” You never know.

Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Mr Andrew, but I’m curious about the phrase “leadership bid” when you’re deputy chief whip and tasked with enforcing party discipline. Or do yo know something about the Prime Minister’s health that we don’t? Do tell.

THERE was a debate on Endangered Species in the House of Commons on Monday night. It was opened, I kid you not, by a certain Chris Grayling. If only his political career was extinct...

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