Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Public Space Protection Orders in reducing antisocial behaviours; and what the evidential basis of that assessment is.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers, including Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour.

In November 2023, the Home Office published a report on GOV.UK which looked at police perceptions of powers within the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

It is for local authorities to decide how best to effectively implement PSPOs depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.

The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. They will include a power of arrest for any suspected breach, meaning officers can take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breach will be a criminal offence, which is heard in the criminal courts with a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.