Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 28 October 2009
Tom Levitt (High Peak, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of reducing from 16 to 14 the age at which section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 applies.
Alan Campbell (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Tynemouth, Labour)
The current age limit on directions to leave significantly limits their effectiveness as a tool for preventing alcohol related crime and disorder because it prevents the police from dealing with groups of young people of mixed ages. Clause 31 of the Policing and Crime Bill reduces the minimum age at which directions to leave can be issued from 16 to 10 so that the police can deal with all young people who are likely to be involved in crime and disorder and not just older children.