§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will create fora to bring together representatives from licensing authorities, town centre management, the police and community safety practitioners to tackle disorder in and around town centres. [28836]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Crime and Disorder Bill will require the police and local authorities together to undertake a crime and disorder audit in the district, borough or unitary authority area, in consultation with other agencies and the wider community. They will then have to develop a local strategy to tackle the identified crime and disorder problems. The work of the partnerships created to implement the local strategies, which will include clear targets, will include action at a much more local level within the local authority area. If the process identifies town centre disorder as a problem, the partners would be expected to draw together those who have an interest in tackling the problem or to work with any existing forum in order to develop strategies for tackling the identified problems. Whether a forum of the form described by my hon. Friend would be the right vehicle would depend on local circumstances but may well play a significant role. The test of a forum approach would be whether it is clearly focused and effective in cutting crime and disorder.