unless they possess common law or statutory powers to stop us."Not when identity cards are introduced in this country and it's made compulsory to carry them, but I am getting ahead of myself. For the moment, W welcomed the ruling, saying: "Of course I have no problem with being stopped by the police if I've done something wrong. But they shouldn't be allowed to treat me like a criminal just because I'm under 16." This is subversive talk, and naturally the idea that the Government may have to bring in further legislation to make dispersal zones work is already being canvassed.The alternative would be to examine the causes of annoying behaviour in young people, which needs to be distinguished from actual criminality. Asbos and dispersal orders blur the line, saving police a lot of time and trouble, but they also bolster the impression that we are menaced on all sides by feral teenagers. I'm not sure this is true - kids may be rude and aggressive, especially in groups, but that doesn't make them all muggers and rapists. And if the problem is a widespread absence of consideration for others, it can't be laid solely at the door of families.After eight years in power, the Government has failed to produce a state education system that is trusted by parents, resulting in a stampede to the private sector and church-run schools; teachers and parents share a responsibility to socialise children, and there is evidence that they aren't making a particularly good job of it.And if the aim is to increase co-operation and a sense of responsibility in teenagers, subjecting them to arbitrary curfews and creating unnecessary conflict with the police hardly seems the right way to achieve it.
On the contrary, isn't it time we started arguing that dispersal zones and Asbos are themselves a form of anti-social behaviour? More from Joan Smith. Tackling the water shortage with metering and recycling Sir: I congratulate The Independent on highlighting the problems of water shortages, particularly in south-east England ("Drought alert: the 2005 water crisis", 19 July). What your article failed to mention, however, is the role that water metering could play in making considerable reductions in water use. I call on the Government to take urgent action to combat the increasing water shortages across England by introducing universal metering. Water metering is a well proven method of reducing water consumption. In the Isle of Wight where universal metering was introduced, use fell by around 10 per cent.Hosepipe bans are commonplace almost every year in England. Instead of trying to solve the problem by measures such as building more reservoirs or desalinisation plants we should instead be looking to save more of the precious resource we already have.
John Prescott's plans for thousands more homes in the South East will put tremendous extra pressure on water resources already made scarcer by climate change and extra demand. The Government must commit itself to universal metering.NORMAN BAKER MPLIBERAL DEMOCRAT ENVIRONMENT SPOKESMAN HOUSE OF COMMONSSir: After one of the driest winters on record, reservoirs are at pitiful levels - yet we waste billions of gallons of potable water every day flushing away body wastes, cleaning vehicles and watering gardens.Isn't it time we started recycling "grey water"? It should be compulsory for all new buildings to incorporate a system that would channel waste water from showers, baths, sinks and gutters into recycling tanks, that would be used to flush toilets, clean vehicles, water plants etc. Previously, if you wanted to move into management, it meant giving up clinical work. I have been able to teach them, for example, that when someone in a Muslim household is clearly suffering, paramedics should nonetheless respect being asked to take their shoes off before seeing that person, because parts of the room may be used for prayer."Promotion prospects are also improving.
