§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further proposals he has for combating hooliganism inside and outside football grounds.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI have discussed with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Home Affairs, for Scotland and for Transport the action to be taken in the light of the outbreak of violence at the Aston Villa-Glasgow Ranger match and other serious incidents. The Chief Constables of West Midlands and Strathclyde have been asked to submit detailed reports and the Football Association is carrying out its own inquiry.
My Working Party on Football Crowd Behaviour is continuing to keep the problem under review and we recently issued a fresh circular to football clubs re-emphasising its recommendations on practical steps to reduce hooliganism among football crowds. There is little doubt that much of the recent violence might have been prevented if these recommendations had been implemented with thoroughness and urgency.