Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to support local authorities in tackling anti-social behaviour.

The Government is determined to restore confidence that anti-social behaviour will be tackled quickly and effectively. Through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, we have strengthened the tools available to frontline agencies, including introducing Respect Orders for persistent adult perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, providing a more flexible and robust intervention to prevent further offending.

The Act also strengthens existing powers by increasing the maximum financial penalty available for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices, extending the period for which Closure Notices can be issued, and introducing a new requirement for local policing bodies to conduct reviews where communities are dissatisfied with the response to anti-social behaviour.

On 6 October, we published updated anti-social behaviour statutory guidance ahead of commencement of these measures on 26 October. The guidance provides frontline practitioners with clarity on the new powers and processes coming into force, helping police, councils, housing providers and the courts prepare for and implement the new framework consistently and effectively.