Chew on this

The Government has spent £60,000 to find out why people chew gum and why they spit it on to the pavement, with a view to working out how to persuade them not to. Ministers are wasting their time and our money. It ought to be obvious that, unless we go the whole Singaporean authoritarian hog, the only means of persuasion that will work is money. Once again, we should follow the Irish "polluter pays" policy. Following the success of the plastic bag tax, the Irish propose a 10 per cent gum tax. The money raised could go to local councils to pay for cleaning the black blobs off the streets.

The Government has spent £60,000 to find out why people chew gum and why they spit it on to the pavement, with a view to working out how to persuade them not to. Ministers are wasting their time and our money. It ought to be obvious that, unless we go the whole Singaporean authoritarian hog, the only means of persuasion that will work is money. Once again, we should follow the Irish "polluter pays" policy. Following the success of the plastic bag tax, the Irish propose a 10 per cent gum tax. The money raised could go to local councils to pay for cleaning the black blobs off the streets.