Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to (a) tackle increases in antisocial behaviour in East Hull and (b) support local (i) authorities and (ii) communities in tackling it.

On 27 March, the Government published its Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Action Plan. The ASB Action Plan commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: stronger punishment, making communities safer, building local pride, prevention and early intervention, improving data, reporting and accountability for action.

This plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we will work with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales.

We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of the offence. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out nationally in 2024.

The plan includes up to £2m to supercharge use of High Street Rental Auctions which will allow local authorities to sell off the rental rights for empty properties to willing tenants, with financial support to make sure that areas which need this the most are not priced out by prohibitive refurbishment costs to bring the properties up to standard.

We are providing up to £2.5 million to pilot High Street Accelerators in up to 10 areas which will incentivise and empower local people to work together to develop ambitious plans to tackle vacancy and reinvent their high streets so that they are fit for the future.

Humberside police force has recruited 365 additional uplift police officers against a total three-year allocation of 322 officers, as at 31 March 2023.

Humberside’s funding will be up to £231.7m in 2023/24, an increase of up to £7.9m when compared to 2022/23.