§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many anti-social behaviour orders have been made by courts in England and Wales. [HL17]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)An anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) is a civil order made by a court which currently can be applied for by a local authority or the police.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made locally have been consistently under-reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
The number of notifications received by the Home Office of ASBOs issued within England and Wales from their introduction on 1 April 1999 to 30 June 2002 (latest available) is 654.