§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to ensure that children under 16 are not on the streets very late at night; and what measures are in place to allow the police to remove disruptive young children from the streets at night. [128096]
§ Ms BlearsThe Anti-social Behaviour Bill currently before Parliament gives the police a power to return young people under 16 who are unsupervised in public places after 9pm to their homes. The power will only be available in areas designated in advance by a senior officer as an area where anti-social behaviour is a significant and persistent problem and where members of the public have been intimidated, harassed, alarmed or distressed by groups.
665WThe local child curfew scheme introduced in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 allows a local authority or police force (after confirmation by the Secretary of State) to set up a scheme banning children and young people under 16 from being in a public place during specified hours. The police have a power to take home a child found in contravention of a curfew under this scheme.