Clause 40 - Extension of powers of community
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
She was not; I assumed that she knew about it because she was there. Perhaps she had no reason to be present for the statement on the Olympics or to take part in the debate on schools funding in the main Chamber, for which I was present, and only since we adjourned this morning has she had the chance to read yesterday's Hansard. I am genuinely grateful to her for drawing my attention to it.
A serious issue has been raised, which is that antisocial behaviour by cyclists and by young people who misuse skateboards, roller skates and in-line skates is an increasing problem. I now receive a lot of letters from my constituents, which I did not receive when I was first elected to the House 11 years ago, particularly from pensioners, saying that they do not feel safe when walking on the streets because groups of hooligans may knock them down by riding their skateboard or in-line skates on the pavement.
We are not suggesting that young people should not use those items when appropriate, but the amendments would add to the Bill a form of antisocial behaviour that is of increasing concern to the elderly. I hope that the Minister will take the amendments in that spirit. I may not have got it quite right, but I hope that amendments Nos. 251 and 252 make those consequential changes in the right way. No doubt the Minister will tell us whether we were right.
Amendments Nos. 69 and 72 are probing, but they would delete sub-paragraph (2) of new paragraph 11A to schedule 4 of the 2002 Act and sub-paragraph (2) of new paragraph 8A to schedule 5 of that Act. Once again, our wording might not be perfect, but given that we felt that those paragraphs might be too limiting, we thought it worth probing in order to discover whether the Bill would be more widely applicable if it were not limited to people committing an offence under section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 by riding on a footway. I see no need to limit the provisions of the Bill in that way. No doubt the Minister will explain his thinking.