§ 23. Mr. AmessWhat assessment he has made of the effectiveness of ways of dealing with antisocial behaviour. [30361]
§ Mr. MichaelAntisocial behaviour can grow out of control unless it is nipped in the bud—particularly with young offenders. Those problems have grown out of control in recent years. This Government have acted swiftly to reform the youth justice system to make young people face up to the consequences of their own behaviour and to make them realise that the most effective way to deal with antisocial behaviour is to be firm, fair and swift.
§ Mr. AmessHas the hon. Gentleman noticed that at times the whole country seems to be covered in graffiti—whether they are on road signs, on the tube or on walls? There is a particular problem in Chalkwell ward in my constituency of Southend, West—a ward that the Conservatives won from the Liberal Democrats last week. Will the Minister tell the House what effective measures are in place to apprehend those vandals who continually indulge in antisocial behaviour through acts of graffiti?
§ Mr. MichaelI am not sure which of those two parties the hon. Gentleman blames for the graffiti problem. We intend to nip things in the bud by encouraging partnership between police and local authorities in order to recognise problems as they begin to grow. We will not allow problems to develop—as has happened in recent years—to the point where it is impossible to put the genie back in the bottle. We intend to tackle those problems.