Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 15 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Friday, 22 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Graffiti and Litter

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing statutory guidance on litter and graffiti enforcement in improving public perceptions of safety.

Answer

The Government has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of existing statutory guidance on litter and graffiti enforcement in improving public perceptions of safety. The Government recognises that litter and graffiti can have a detrimental impact on local environmental quality and can affect how safe people feel in their communities.

Local councils are responsible for keeping their public land clear of litter, refuse and graffiti.

Advisory guidance on managing graffiti for local councils and businesses is available here.

The guidance outlines the options available to local councils and others for tackling these issues with examples of good practice.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1821
Session
2026-27
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Enforcement Graffiti Litter Safety
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk