For example, ensuring that employers like councils had plenty of gardening jobs to offer whereby those out of work could receive a wage and, in turn, pay taxes.
As for clearing litter, I'm sure that we've all seen litter being dropped. If officials - employed by councils or police forces - were empowered to stop miscreants and issue fixed penalties, the streets might get cleaner almost overnight. Some sensible precautions should be taken, of course: uniforms are a real giveaway and a certain degree of musculature on the part of the officials may be handy.
BARRY LEES
Denholm Street
Greenock