Clause 29 - Dispersal of groups and removal of persons under 16 to their place of residence
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
10:45 am
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
I think that the hon. Lady is looking at the matter from a different angle. There may be circumstances where it is nothing to do with social services and the child is not at risk. The child may happen to be out after 9 o'clock at night or on the streets and causing a problem but the parents may not be at home at that time. It is not necessarily something for social services to be involved in. If night after night the police are taking a young person home and the parents are not there, at some point the parents need to know. The young person is hardly going to volunteer to his parents, ''The police brought me home again tonight. They did me again tonight''. There will be circumstances where parents might not know, because they were not in when the police dealt with the situation.
I will not trouble the Committee with this group of amendments. We know the arithmetic and that the Government are determined to push the measure through. I hope that when the guidance comes out it addresses the issues that I have raised to try to help the Bill to work more effectively in the interests not only of the community but of the children. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
The Chairman being of the opinion that the principle of the clause and any matters arising thereon had been adequately discussed in the course of the debate on the amendments proposed thereto, forthwith put the Question, pursuant to Standing Orders Nos. 68 and 89, That the clause stand part of the Bill.
Question agreed to.
Clause 29 ordered to stand part of the Bill.