Clause 36 - Anti-social behaviour orders
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
9:10 am
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
Good morning, Mr. Cran, on this bright morning. I welcome you back to the Chair and other members of the Committee. I can deal with the amendments quite briefly. As the Minister and others will realise, they would have the same effect. Again, we are genuinely attempting to improve the Bill by making it more flexible. The Bill uses the words
''that the person's anti-social acts are material in relation to the principal proceedings'',
which is too restrictive. We hope that the Minister will understand the spirit of the amendments. As my hon. Friend the Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) and I often say, we do not suggest for a moment that our wording is necessarily perfect, but I am sure that the Minister can understand what we are getting at.
It would be helpful if courts could consider the wider picture. If someone is involved in an antisocial behaviour problem, there should not be the restriction of their antisocial acts having to be material in relation to the principal proceedings. I need take up no more of the Committee's time. We shall listen with interest to what the Minister has to say. I hope that, even if he cannot accept the precise wording of the amendments, he will say that he will keep the matter under review and may introduce something that achieves the same objective.