§ THE EARL OF IDDESLEIGHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support the organisers of the national "Keep Britain Tidy" week.]
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, the purpose of this Week and of the organisers behind the scenes is certainly most commendable, and I am sure that the noble Earl will be gratified to know that considerable progress has been made. In many parts of the country there is evidence that the campaign has been succeeding; and, of course, the schools have done a great deal in this direction, with 1266 some success, judging from the admonition that I received from my six-year old granddaughter the other day for tossing a matchstick out of my car window. This indicates the fact that children certainly are absorbing the great necessity for this tidiness.
The organisers themselves have an annual grant from the Exchequer and are helped annually by the production of posters and other material, available without charge to local authorities and other organisations. Many of these offers have been taken up and posters have been displayed. My right honourable friend is speaking at the opening conference for the Week which has the Government's best wishes for success. May I add that it is certainly to the credit of noble Lords that, on the whole, we in this House keep our own House quite tidy compared with—I will not say another place, but elsewhere.
§ THE EARL OF IDDESLEIGHMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. I greatly hope that during this Week in particular, which is the first national Week ever held with this object, intensified instruction will be given in schools in this sense.