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Penny drops for ministers after 12,000 ASBOs - Huhne
8 May 2008


Mr Chris Huhne Commenting on Jacqui Smith's speech, in which she called for early intervention to tackle the first signs of problem behaviour, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"The penny has finally dropped with evidence-immune ministers that ASBOs should only be used as a last resort. They are far more costly and less effective than alternatives such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, pioneered by Liberal Democrat councils.

"It has taken ten years and more than 12,000 ASBOs for ministers to recognise their mistake."

Notes
 

1. New ASBOs fell from 4,123 in 2005 to 2,706 in 2006, a drop of 35%. Wider anti-social behaviour tools such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts were up 258% from 2003-4 to 2006-7.

2. Only last month, in the run up to the 2008 local elections, Labour campaigned on the fact that 'Labour-controlled Manchester [Council] issued over twice as many [ASBOs] as nearby Lib Dem Liverpool.'

http://www.labour.org.uk/safer_cleaner_streets

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