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A Report on the Consultation Responses to Putting Our Communities First: A Strategy for tackling Anti- Social Behaviour
Chapter One: Introduction and Policy Context
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 This report presents the findings from a major consultation exercise conducted by the Scottish Executive in regard to its proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour in Scotland. The Scottish Executive will present a bill to the Scottish Parliament in the autumn. The Bill will be based on the proposals set out in the consultation document Putting Communities First: A Strategy for tackling Anti-Social Behaviour. This document set out a number of proposals framed within four themes of empowering and protecting communities, Preventing anti-social behaviour: children and families, safe, secure and attractive communities and effective enforcement.
1.1.2 The consultation process has comprised several elements. Ministers and Scottish Executive officials have undertaken a series of meetings with local communities, key stakeholders and local projects to learn about their experiences of anti-social behaviour and their views on the proposals within Putting Our Communities First. Written responses to the consultation document were also invited from individuals and organisations. In addition, the Scottish Executive established a web-based questionnaire to ascertain the views of young people. Two newspapers ran campaigns which encouraged their readers to write in with their opinions. A series of consultation events or surveys were also conducted by several organisations and MSPs. All of the responses generated by these various strands of the consultation process have been included in the analysis undertaken in preparing this report.
1.1.3 This report begins by outlining the policy context within which these proposals have been developed and the consultation exercise undertaken (the remainder of Chapter One). Chapter Two describes the various strands of the consultation process in more detail. Chapter Three outlines the analysis methods used by the research team to produce the findings in this report. Chapter Four describes the experience and impact of anti-social behaviour in Scotland and local communities' perceptions of what needs to be done to address the problem. This chapter draws predominately upon the ministerial visits to communities, the web-based questionnaire, the newspaper campaigns and other responses from individual members of the public. Chapter Five provides young people's perceptions of anti-social behaviour and the proposed measures to tackle the problem, based upon consultation events and written responses from young people. The main themes and issues arising from the responses to the consultation process are discussed in Chapter Six of the report. Chapters Seven to Ten address responses to the specific proposals outlined in the consultation document, based upon the 61 questions upon which views were sought, providing a qualitative discussion about the key rationales and issues arising from the responses to the specific questions, grouped around the four themes identified in Putting Our Communities First. Appendices E, F and G provide quantitative analysis that compliments and informs the qualitative discussion. Chapter Eleven offers some general conclusions.
1.2 The Policy Context
1.2.1 Tackling anti-social behaviour and addressing the anxiety and fear it causes in local communities is a key priority for Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Executive. The 'Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement' outlined the proposed policy programme for the second Scottish Parliament. The agreement included a commitment to bring in legislation aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour.
1.2.2 The Scottish Executive has examined a range of proposed measures to address this issue. In March 2003, In March 2003, the Scottish Executive launched a consultation document called "Building Safe, Strong and Attractive Communities: Wardens and Other Community Based Initiatives to Tackle Anti-social Behaviour" which sets out its proposals for using 30m to tackle anti-social behaviour, the poor quality of the environment and to help local people build strong, safe communities. 20m was allocated to extend community warden schemes more widely across Scotland and 10m for other community based initiatives to address anti-social behaviour. As a result of this consultation the Executive published guidance, in July 2003, explaining how local authorities, on behalf of their community planning partners, can apply for funding for a specific range of initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour. In addition the Scottish Executive has published an audit of local authority policy and practice for tackling anti-social behaviour and a directory of good practice.
1.2.3 Furthermore, the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 places a duty upon each local authority and chief constable to jointly prepare and publish a strategy for dealing with anti-social behaviour in the authority's area.
1.2.4 In June 2003 the Scottish Executive issued its consultation document, entitled Putting Our Communities First: A Strategy for Tackling Anti- Social Behaviour. The document sets out the Scottish Executive's proposals for new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour. The consultation period relating to Putting Our Communities First ended on the 11 th September 2003. This report is based on the responses to that consultation. After giving consideration to the responses received to Putting Our Communities First, it is planned to bring legislation to the Scottish Parliament in the autumn of 2003.
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