Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Bridget Phillipson Excerpts
Monday 10th March 2014

(10 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Karen Bradley Portrait Karen Bradley
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I thank my hon. Friend, a fellow Staffordshire MP, for his question. He is quite right. The Immigration Bill is a sensible measure that will help this country to protect against illegal immigration. It is a well-needed measure and something we should be bringing in sooner rather than later.

Bridget Phillipson Portrait Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South) (Lab)
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14. What recent steps she has taken to reduce antisocial behaviour.

Norman Baker Portrait The Minister for Crime Prevention (Norman Baker)
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We are introducing measures through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill that put victims at the heart of the response to tackling and reducing antisocial behaviour. Front-line professionals will have faster, more effective powers better to protect the public, and people will have a voice in how agencies tackle their problems through the community trigger and the community remedy.

Bridget Phillipson Portrait Bridget Phillipson
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I am grateful to the Minister for that answer, but he knows that antisocial behaviour remains a major concern. Constituents stress to me that agencies need to work together more quickly, and especially more effectively, to tackle it. What more can the Minister do to make that happen?

Norman Baker Portrait Norman Baker
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I recognise that the hon. Lady thinks this is a problem in her constituency and has done some work on it. I acknowledge that. The measures we are taking through the new range of powers will not only give more flexibility to agencies. The community remedy will encourage agencies to work together, as I mentioned a moment ago, and the fact that perpetrators will have to take responsibility for their actions—dealing with them that way, through the new powers—will help to drive down antisocial behaviour.