Penalty notices make it on to bill

The Antisocial Behaviour Bill published last week confirms that
the government intends to push ahead with many of the contentious
plans outlined in last month’s white paper on the issue.

Despite criticisms from children’s charities about plans
to extend fixed penalty notices to 16 year olds and to give police
powers to disperse groups of youths, the new bill includes
provisions for both.

The bill also includes measures that would allow local housing
authorities, housing action trusts and registered social landlords
to apply to courts to terminate secure tenancies of antisocial
tenants.

Although controversial plans to make begging a recordable
offence are not included in the bill, this does not mean they are
off the agenda. They have simply been removed as they require only
secondary rather than primary legislation.

A spokesperson for homelessness charity Homeless Link said: “We
hope that before any secondary legislation is introduced, we would
have the opportunity to discuss our concerns with the home
secretary.”