This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Antisocial behaviour seminar in Inverness
29/07/2004
Delegates the police, fire brigade, local authorities and other organisations started to get to grips with the new Antisocial Behaviour Act at a half day workshop with Deputy Communities Minister Mary Mulligan today.
The event was one of a series of seminars and workshops across Scotland aimed at gearing up local authorities, police and their partners for the introduction of the new ASB measures and strategies.
Speaking to nearly 70 delegates in Inverness this morning (Thursday), Ms Mulligan said: "The legislative phase is over. This is not the time for me to persuade you about the importance of tackling antisocial behaviour. The phase of delivery, of effecting real change is here. This is the time for action.
"These seminars are about putting the important and useful debate about the Act behind us and focussing on the future. We need to make it work because that's what the people of Scotland want."
The Minister went on to remind delegates of the principles that underpin the approach to ASB. She said: "Tackling ASB requires a range of interventions. From prevention and early intervention through to diversion and sanction. None of them will succeed on their own.
"Tackling ASB requires joined up thinking and joined up working from the whole range of public, private and voluntary sector agencies with a stake in our communities.
"How to tackle ASB is best determined at the local level. As a Minister I cannot and should not dictate how this behaviour in different towns, villages and cities across Scotland is best dealt with.
"ASB is not just about young people. Despite reports, no Minister or politician I know has ever said that. Indeed, more often than not young people are predominantly the victims."
"And, tackling ASB effectively requires the effective involvement of local people. This is not something that can happen to local people. It has to happen with them."
The Minister said that the Act was far from the sum total of the Execitive's efforts on ASB, and that it was part of a bigger picture which included funding arrangements, the spread of best practice, the piloting of innovative schemes and the extension of successful ones.
She stressed that local ASB strategies reflected the need for local agencies to grasp the baton and tackle ASB effectively at local level.
Concluding, the Minister said: "There is much going on at national level to maintain the momentum we have generated on antisocial behaviour. The challenge I make today is to ensure that momentum is sustained at the local level.
"Action now will pay dividends in the future. We have done what we have done to effect real change on the ground. To ensure that we can look in the eye the good people we met last summer, whose lives were being made a misery, and tell them we listened, we acted and we are now delivering."
The seminar took place in the Inverness Thistle Hotel, Millburn Road, Inverness.
The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 17 June, and received Royal Assent on 26 July 2004. Most of the provisions in the Bill are expected to come into force in the autumn.
The Executive is providing over £95 million extra funding dedicated to ASB over this and the next financial year, including: £20m to the development of new community warden schemes; £30m allocated to local authorities to support community based programmes, to provide support for victims and witnesses of ASB and to support work on strategies; £10m to support ASB practitioners and to pilot innovative approaches to dealing with abd preventing ASB; £35m to support our work with children and young people, funding diversion and intensive support schemes.