Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Yvette Cooper and Alison Griffiths

Monday 21st October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Yvette Cooper]

The hon. Member is right that off-road bikes are a total nightmare in some communities. I have talked to residents who have been driven mad by the scourge of dangerous off-road bikes that are used to harass and intimidate people. We are looking at ways to strengthen the law on off-road biking to give the police the powers they need to tackle that kind of damaging antisocial behaviour.

[Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)]

Given the Home Secretary’s great concern about shoplifting and antisocial behaviour, will she make an assessment on the “Putting it Right” scheme for young offenders that has been successfully piloted in my constituency?

[Yvette Cooper]

I welcome the points the hon. Member makes. To tackle shoplifting, we need to ensure that strong enough laws and policing partnerships are in place, and that we do prevention and follow-up work with young people. As she may know, we are setting up a new Young Futures programme, which is all about the greater work we need to do to prevent young people being drawn into crime in the first place. I encourage her to tell us more details about her local work to tackle this issue.