Clause 1 - Drinking banning orders
Violent Crime Reduction Bill
10:30 am
Sally Keeble (Northampton North, Labour)
I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. The issue is not merely resources; it is the range of powers that the police have to deal with the problems. He is right that problem behaviour has to be controlled and managed, but it is wrong to say that such behaviour is criminal, and that it has to pass a higher test. That is why the disorderly behaviour element is so important. If we consider merely increasing police resources, we will find that, as in Northampton and elsewhere, more and more police are tied up managing disorderly behaviour because they do not have the range of measures at their disposal to enable them to reduce the problem and make their town centres places where a wide range of people can go and enjoy themselves.
I have provided an example that fits—