§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will consider a ban on the manufacture, sale and import of spray paint cans in view of the cost to the community of removing the graffiti caused by them; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsGraffiti, like all other forms of vandalism and criminal damage, is a problem which the Government take most seriously and this is reflected in the relevant criminal legislation, notably the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
The existing law is adequate to deal with instances of graffiti spraying. The Government have no plans to introduce a ban on the manufacture, sale or import of
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§ Mr. Hurd[holding answer 28 October 1988]Public inquiries have been held by a number of Departments over the last eight years; details are set out in the table. These figures include basic running costs such as premises, printing and paper costs, boards of assessors and clerks to the inquiry; where indicated, Treasury solicitors' and staff costs are also included. In some instances details of staff costs could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
spray paint cans. However, they are strongly in favour of broadly based preventive action to tackle the graffiti problem. As with similar acts of vandalism, a concerted local approach, involving all sections of the community, is the best way forward.