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Social Housing Tenants: Antisocial Behaviour
08 January 2025
Lead MP
Lee Anderson
Ashfield
Reform
Responding Minister
Alex Norris
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementHousing
Word Count: 13878
Other Contributors: 12
At a Glance
Lee Anderson raised concerns about social housing tenants: antisocial behaviour in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
He asked for measures to address the issue of antisocial behaviour among social housing tenants, advocating for stricter rules and consequences for those who violate them.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The lead MP expressed concern about the antisocial behaviour on council estates, referencing specific instances in Ashfield and Mansfield. He cited a Government survey from 2022 indicating that nearly one-third of social housing tenants suffer from antisocial behaviour.
Alex Norris
Lab
Nottingham North
Discussed Clement Attlee's legacy, emphasising non-judgmental approaches to solving issues like substance abuse, mental health problems, and domestic abuse. Agrees with the previous speaker and discusses issues such as funding mechanism squeezing out civilian staff, leading to fewer frontline police officers. Mentions challenges with court systems and eviction processes.
Andrew Cooper
Lab
West Bromwich West
Stressed that antisocial behaviour impacts all types of housing and is not exclusive to social tenants. Emphasised the importance of well-designed, managed social housing in addressing affordable housing needs. The hon. Member for West Bromwich West agreed that clustering section 106 properties at once without proper support mechanisms can lead to problems, and advocated for a holistic approach involving strategic partnerships between local authorities, housing providers and law enforcement. Asked whether it is better to deal with underlying addiction issues before problems occur rather than after antisocial behaviour has taken place.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Complained about the inappropriate placement of individuals with addictions in working-class estates, highlighting instances of intimidation and death threats. Suggested the need for earlier intervention and collaboration among various agencies to address antisocial behaviour.
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
Emphasised the issue of rural crime affecting social housing tenants in Wales, advocating for better police resourcing to address this challenge.
Gideon Amos
LD
Taunton and Wellington
Liberal Democrats believe that everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes and walking down their own streets. Police response times for antisocial behaviour incidents have increased by 37% since 2015, with only 19% of reported incidents attended by the police in some areas. Agreed that systematic removal of policing, social services support, and local authority support leads to an increase in social problems without early intervention. He thanked the Chair for allowing him to contribute. The hon. Member emphasised the need for more police on the streets and addressed historical cuts to policing numbers made post-2010 by his party and others.
James McMurdock
Reform
South Basildon and East Thurrock
Asked whether there should be consequences for those engaging in antisocial behaviour, suggesting that a deterrent is necessary to protect good people from being held ransom by the bad. Asks if we should look at how resources are used as residents feel they do not see police officers despite record numbers.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Mr Shannon commends the intervention by his hon. Friend, highlighting the impact of antisocial behaviour on constituencies and the need for better rights for housing associations to take control of their properties. He mentions examples from casework and the importance of a good working relationship with housing associations. Discussed specific examples of antisocial behaviour cases involving housing associations and paramilitary groups in Newtownards. Mentioned 45,355 instances of antisocial behaviour recorded by the PSNI over a year.
Kevin Hollinrake
Con
Thirsk and Malton
Agreed with the hon. Member for Ashfield about distressing constituency cases, and supported social housing being a privilege not a right while criticising the condition of some houses in social housing areas. The hon. Member highlighted the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and its provisions for social landlords to evict offenders. He also acknowledged the complexities faced by those who engage in antisocial behaviour. Argued for a tougher approach towards those who are evicted from social housing, suggesting that individuals might need different treatment methods. Discusses the effectiveness of broken window policing and its impact on crime prevention.
Lee Anderson
Lab
Ashfield
The hon. Member for Ashfield discussed the challenges in his local area where social housing providers often fail to act on antisocial behaviour and highlighted the need for sensitive lets based on suitability rather than just need. Spoke passionately about social housing and the impact of antisocial behaviour on communities.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
Supported the lead MP's concerns about working-class families suffering from antisocial neighbours in social housing.
Richard Tice
Ind
Boston and Skegness
The hon. Member for Boston and Skegness suggested looking internationally at what works, such as the 'broken windows' policy in New York city, and proposed a deterrent system similar to football's red card rule to address antisocial behaviour. Suggested that competition is good, but also proposed 'no strikes and you’re out' policy on antisocial behaviour.
Steve Yemm
Lab
Mansfield
The hon. Member for Mansfield discusses the challenges faced by women victims of antisocial behaviour in social housing areas, arguing against a lenient three-strike rule and advocating for a stricter one-strike approach to ensure better protection for tenants. The hon. Member for Mansfield was suggested as possibly becoming the housing spokesman for Reform UK.
Government Response
Alex Norris
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Government Response
The Minister acknowledged the importance of tackling antisocial behaviour and committed to putting thousands of neighbourhood police officers into local communities. He also proposed respect orders as a means to augment existing powers with tougher sanctions for persistent offenders.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.