Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support communities in tackling anti-social behaviour (a) during and (b) following the covid-19 outbreak.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour. These powers and tools continue to be applicable during this period.

The powers in the 2014 Act are local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances as they are best-placed to understand the needs of their community and the most appropriate response.

The 2014 Act also introduced specific measures designed to give victims and communities a say in the way that complaints of anti-social behavior are dealt with. This includes the Community Trigger, which gives victims of persistent ASB the ability to ask for a formal case review.