Clause 3 - Closure order: enforcement
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
5:45 pm
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
I rise to support both amendment No. 131 and the Conservative amendment, which makes a great deal of sense. [Interruption.] Yes, I know that I have a look of surprise on my face.
The police may suspect gun crime in a property, without necessarily having evidence. An officer knocking nicely on the door, showing his warrant card, and saying that he will issue something may not be appropriate in all circumstances. The police may feel that they need to go in wearing bullet-proof vests and beating the door down, because they would be under threat if they were to knock on the door gently. It is for exactly that reason that amendment No. 131 is so important, because it could be another authorised person who does that, instead of a police officer. The police are trained to deal with those situations and have access to firearms and equipment that they might need to deal with dangerous situations. I cannot think of any other authorised person who would have access to such equipment and training. Unless the Minister pulls something out of the hat, it will essentially be police officers. I think that amendment No. 131 and the Conservative amendment make a great deal of sense for the safety of the people involved in dealing with a potentially very dangerous situation.