3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle youth antisocial behaviour. (S6O-02238)

We support local agencies to reduce antisocial behaviour and are investing in prevention and early Intervention. Local agencies are well placed to deal with those issues and have a wide range of powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, including—where appropriate—warnings and formal measures such as fixed-penalty notices and antisocial behaviour orders. As part of our broader support for prevention, we are developing a new youth work strategy so that all our young people reach their potential. Between 2023 and 2026, we are committing £20 million through the cashback programme to support more than 33,000 young people in communities around Scotland.

Nobody, not least the elderly, should have to put up with harassment or intimidation. Sometimes, due to the age of the apparent offenders, it ends up being a multi-agency issue, as the Cabinet secretary mentioned. There is sometimes a perception, including among some offenders, that little can be done to challenge them. What more can the Scottish Government do to help the police, social workers and schools work together with children, particularly those in the 12 to 16 age group?

Alasdair Allan is right to be concerned about the impact of antisocial behaviour on some of his most vulnerable constituents. However, I want to reassure him and others that something can be done to address those issues on a multi-agency basis.

I am aware that a specific group has been established in the Western Isles, involving key partners. I also understand that the local children’s services have been developing plans to divert more young people in the area away from criminalisation and that they are preparing a bid for additional funding. I also know that there are four partners in phase 6 of cashback for communities—Ocean Youth Trust Scotland, Access to Industry, Youth Scotland and the Scottish Football Association—that are all focused on diverting young people who are at risk of participating in antisocial behaviour.

Of course, enforcement measures are also available, including talking to parents and issuing those formal warnings, and acceptable behaviour contracts and antisocial behaviour orders may also be considered for children over the age of 12.

Retailers Against Crime told me about two Lanarkshire teenagers who are using free bus travel to inflict chaos in shops across the country, with a particularly horrific attack in Edinburgh leaving staff injured. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce previously raised concerns that free bus travel for under-22s is fuelling some antisocial behaviour. Shop workers are therefore asking this very specific question: will the Cabinet secretary consider finding a way to remove free bus passes from the small number of people who abuse them?

I am advised that transport colleagues will be undertaking a full review of the free entitlement. However, it is important to acknowledge that it is a national entitlement for all young people for very good reasons.

Our focus should always be less on the mode of transport—notwithstanding the work that is done across agencies to ensure the safety of people who work in public transport, as well as of the citizens who travel on public transport—because we need to get to the root causes of such behaviour. There are a number of well-proven, well-evidenced approaches to diverting young people away from criminal activity and antisocial behaviour, as I have already mentioned.

I echo Alasdair Allan’s key point. It is undoubtedly a fact that there has been an uptick in such antisocial behaviour in my Constituency, ranging from egg throwing to the assaulting of security guards at fast food outlets, which I have had to deal with.

Are any additional measures and consequences for such action being considered? Although no one wants to lock people up and throw away the key, there is a feeling, as Alasdair Allan pointed out, that much of the behaviour in question has no consequences.

Mr Johnson raises an important point. Although the overall statistics on antisocial behaviour do not show an increase, we must be fully cognisant of the fact that antisocial behaviour is often underreported. The Government is undertaking work with the Scottish Community Safety Network to explore what the appetite is for, and what the benefits would be of, revisiting some of our past, more formalised approaches and whether there is a need to review those.

If Mr Johnson wishes to write to me, I will keep him fully informed of how we progress with that.

So far, Glasgow City Council has unanimously agreed that putting lights in parks is the right thing to do to help to address antisocial behaviour. Meanwhile, many people are still afraid, and the council has said that it will take years to do that.

Does the Cabinet secretary think that the installation of lights in parks could help? What more can the Government do to help to move things along more quickly in Glasgow?

I am always happy to engage with partners at a local level, and indeed MSPs, on what would assist in their local area. However, it is important to remember that the question of what solution is best, where, is often best determined at a local level. From my perspective, it tends to be the case that a range of solutions need to be brought to the table, because some of the causes and consequences of the issues in question are complex.

Has the Scottish Government done any work to ascertain whether there is any connection between antisocial behaviour and cuts in funding for youth services?

The Government is continuing to invest in youth services. I refer the member to my original answer to Dr Allan, in which I outlined the investment that is being made via cashback for communities, which will benefit 33,500 young people in Scotland.