Antisocial Behaviour Framework

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:42 pm on 16 December 2010.

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Photo of James Kelly James Kelly Labour 3:42, 16 December 2010

I cite to the member freedom of information requests that the Labour Party has submitted and which have shown that complaints to local authorities have risen to 219,000. That shows that the problem is growing. Several measures are required to tackle that, but the point that I was making is that we need direct leadership from the SNP Government, and in my opinion that is not happening.

The document talks about a communication strategy and a knowledge database that is being set up only now, 20 months after the framework was launched. However, we should not be surprised about that, given other aspects of how the SNP has tackled crime, such as the introduction in February next year of the presumption against sentences of three months or less. South Lanarkshire Council's antisocial behaviour strategy, which is quoted in the report, tells us that it believes that domestic housebreaking and minor assaults are elements of antisocial behaviour, but those who are guilty of those crimes will be freed under SNP plans that are to be introduced next year.

For the stressed-out pensioner, the model citizen who has been threatened with a gun for reporting incidents to the police and those who have young families, the answers are not coming from the SNP. What is required is for it to listen to what is happening on the ground, and that is why the Labour Party conducted a tour of major cities in Scotland during the summer. We were not closeted in St Andrew's house; we were out listening to people in their communities. What is required is leadership and direction, and there is a need to give a voice to communities. That is why we support a policy of giving community councils and properly constituted residents groups the right to apply—