Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Antisocial Behaviour

Monday 5 September 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister states the Government is committed to tackling antisocial behaviour through flexible tools provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
  • The Minister confirms there are 20,000 more police officers due to the police uplift programme initiated by the Prime Minister.
  • Minister acknowledges the ongoing work to share best practice among forces to tackle antisocial behaviour and supports violence reduction units.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP is concerned about the impact of antisocial behaviour on communities and the effectiveness of current measures. He mentions a 10% drop in police community support officers and police officers since 2015.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle antisocial behaviour?

Answer from Stephen McPartland

Antisocial behaviour is a menace to society. This Government have committed to stamping it out everywhere that it occurs. In our communities, we have already ensured that local agencies have the flexible tools to tackle it through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Of course, people are not just subject to abuse offline; despicable instances such as the racism online following the Euro 2020 final are why this Government will also tackle harmful content online through the Online Safety Bill.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about steps being taken to help tackle antisocial behaviour, but the answer did not provide specific actions or commitments beyond vague statements of intent and references to legislation.

How: Vague Statements, Broad Principles

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Q2 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP is concerned about the impact of reduced resources on Portsmouth's local force. He mentions a 10% drop in officers since 2015.

Question

Will the Minister confirm today when the Conservatives will finally get tough on crime and give my local force the resources that it so desperately needs?

Answer from Stephen McPartland

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been very clear about ensuring that, with the police uplift programme, there are 20,000 more police officers, and that is making a huge difference. Local police and crime commissioners are responsible for working with local authorities to ensure that they tackle antisocial behaviour locally, so I think that the hon. Gentleman should direct his comments to his local police and crime commissioner.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about specific resources for Portsmouth's force, but the answer redirected responsibility to local commissioners without addressing the funding request specifically.

How: Redirecting Responsibility

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Q3 Richard Graham Con
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

The MP is concerned about the involvement of young people in gangs, drugs, and knife crime. He mentions a trend of increased youth involvement.

Question

Can the Minister arrange a meeting where best practice on how to tackle this growing problem can be shared with many of us in this Chamber who have similar problems?

Answer from Stephen McPartland

I know the work that my hon. Friend has done to try to reduce antisocial behaviour within his own community, and I know that he has been working hard. He supports violence reduction units. There is a huge amount of money and investment going into sharing best practice among forces to ensure that we also protect these individuals. We know the huge problems that county lines are creating up and down the country, and there has been a massive investment in breaking county lines on which this Government have been leading the way.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for a commitment to arrange a meeting but the answer did not provide a specific commitment or timeline.

How: Broad Principles, Vague Statements

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Q4 Naseem Shah Lab Bradford West
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of legislative support for communities suffering from antisocial behaviour. He mentions increases in various types of crime.

Question

Can the Minister explain why, after 12 years in Government, the Conservatives have failed so badly?

Answer from Stephen McPartland

I am astonished. The reality is that antisocial behaviour in the year to March 2022 is down 37%. [Interruption.] My hon. Friends may also be intrigued to hear that, nationally, burglary is down 24%, neighbourhood crime by 33%, and vehicle offences by 28%. That has been made possible by the commitment the Government have made to increasing police numbers by more than 20,000. Perhaps the answer is that Conservative police and crime commissioners deliver for their communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked about failures over the past 12 years but the answer provided statistics without addressing specific shortcomings or criticisms raised in the question.

How: Statistics, Broad Principles

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