Clause 37 - Certain orders made on
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
10:30 am
Mr Bob Ainsworth (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Coventry North East, Labour)
I would have liked to understand the point that the hon. Lady made about terrorism, but I did not. My hon. Friend the Member for Gedling has just exposed the fact that what the hon. Lady said to the Committee was different from what she proposed in the amendment, because that discretion remains.
The clause removes an anomaly by bringing reporting restrictions for orders on conviction in a youth court into line with those made in a magistrates court, as those made against juveniles in a magistrates court are not subject to automatic reporting restrictions. I assure hon. Members that the details of the criminal conviction will remain confidential and that the court will have the discretion to apply reporting restrictions where appropriate—for example, in the interests of rehabilitation. That decision can be taken there and then in the youth court as it can be taken in the magistrates court. However, this measure will close the loopholes, ensure consistency, and make the orders more enforceable for agencies that have to tackle antisocial behaviour on the ground.
Effective publicising of orders is an important part of how they work. Awareness of an order and its conditions enables communities to assist the statutory agencies to monitor the order and to expose whether it is being breached. It reassures victims and witnesses that action is being taken to protect them.