Antisocial Behaviour Orders (Hansard, 18 July 2003)

§ Caroline Flint

There were no pilot schemes for antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). They were introduced across the whole of England and Wales under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 on 1 April 1999. In the period to 31 March 2003, the courts reported 1,112 ASBO's had been made.

The West Midlands has seen the second highest number of ASBOs in the country with 120 between 1 April 999 and 31 March 2003.

The Police Reform Act 2002 introduced interim orders, orders on conviction in criminal courts and orders in county court proceedings, enabled the British Transport Police and registered social landlords to apply for ASBOs and extended the area an ASBO can cover to any defined part or the whole of England and Wales.

Communities are already experiencing the benefits as agencies on the ground use their new powers. Interim orders in particular are already widely in use across the country and orders have also been made to stop individuals from antisocial acts across the whole of England and Wales. Over a quarter of the 200 orders granted since the introduction of the Police Reform Act 2002 changes have been orders on conviction. Orders were introduced into the county court in April this year and we are aware that some have already been granted.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Bill has been published and is going through the House. It refines ASBOs by: Allowing persons other than the defendant in proceedings in the county court whose anti-social behaviour is relevant to be joined to those proceedings for the purpose of seeking an order against them; Giving relevant authorities access to youth court hearings of ASBO breaches; Attaching parenting orders to parents of any child receiving an ASBO; Allowing local authorities to prosecute ASBO breaches; Ensuring the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) asks for orders on conviction; and Allowing Housing Action Trusts (HATs) to apply for ASBOs.