This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Antisocial Behaviour Bill
15/07/2004
The implementation phase of the
Antisocial Behaviour Bill began in earnest today as
Margaret Curran told communities across Scotland: "We
listened, we acted and we are now delivering".
The Communities Minister was addressing the first in a
series of seminars and workshops aimed at gearing up local
authorities, police and their partners for the introduction
of new ASB measures and strategies.
Speaking to nearly 100 delegates in Glasgow, Ms Curran
said:
"The legislative phase is over. This is not the time for
me to persuade you about the importance of tackling
antisocial behaviour. The phase of delivery, of effecting
real change is here. This is the time for action.
"These seminars are about putting the important and
useful debate about the Bill behind us and focussing on the
future. We need to make the Bill work because that's what
the people of Scotland want."
The Minister went on to remind delegates of the
principles that underpin the approach to ASB. She said:
"Tackling ASB requires a range of interventions. From
prevention and early intervention through to diversion and
sanction. None of them will succeed on their own.
"Tackling ASB requires joined up thinking and joined up
working from the whole range of public, private and
voluntary sector agencies with a stake in our
communities.
"How to tackle ASB is best determined at the local
level. As a Minister I cannot and should not dictate how
this behaviour in different towns, villages and cities
across Scotland is best dealt with.
"ASB is not just about young people. Despite reports, no
Minister or politician I know has ever said that. Indeed,
more often than not young people are predominantly the
victims.
"And, tackling ASB effectively requires the effective
involvement of local people. This is not something that can
happen to local people. It has to happen with them."
The Minister said that the Bill was far from the sum
total of the Execitive's efforts on ASB, and that it was
part of a bigger picture which included funding
arrangements, the spread of best practice, the piloting of
innovative schemes and the extension of successful
ones.
She stressed that local ASB strategies - as provided for
in Part 1 of the Bill - reflected the need for local
agencies to grasp the baton and tackle ASB effectively at
local level.
Concluding, the Minister said:
"There is much going on at national level to maintain
the momentum we have generated on antisocial behaviour. The
challenge I make today is to ensure that momentum is
sustained at the local level.
"Action now will pay dividends in the future. We have
done what we have done to effect real change on the ground.
To ensure that I can look in the eye the good people I met
last summer, whose lives were being made a misery, and tell
them we listened, we acted and we are now delivering."
The next seminars are scheduled for Edinburgh Tuesday,
July 27 and Inverness on Thursday, July 29.
The
Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill was passed by
the Scottish Parliament on June 17. It is expected to
receive Royal Assent Shortly.
Most of the provisions in the Bill are expected to come
into force in October.
The Executive is providing over £95 million extra
funding dedicated to ASB over this and the next financial
year, including:
- £20m to the development of new community warden
schemes
- £30m allocated to local authorities to support
community based programmes, to provide support for
victims and witnesses of ASB and to support work on
strategies
- £10m to support ASB practitioners and to pilot
innovative approaches to dealing with abd preventing
ASB
- £35m to support our work with children and young
people, funding diversion and intensive support
schemes