PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Anti-social Behaviour: Enfield North (24 November 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what steps she is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour and (b) whether she plans to increase funding to (i) Enfield and Haringey Metropolitan Police Service, (ii) Enfield Council and (iii) grassroots community organisations in Enfield North constituency to help tackle antisocial behaviour.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can flexibly use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

In January of this year, the Home Office updated its statutory guidance, this supports local agencies to make effective use of these powers. In July the Government laid out its plans for tackling crime and ASB in the Beating Crime Plan. This included a commitment to working with local agencies and partners to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the 2014 Act.

The Government has given policing the biggest funding increase in a decade. Metropolitan Police funding will be up to £3,072.3m in 2021/22, an increase of up to £132.4m on the 2020/21 police funding settlement. Decisions about the allocation of police resources are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable PCCs.

In addition, the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund has now allocated over £70m to support areas deliver crime prevention measures, such as improved streetlighting and CCTV, which also help to tackle ASB.

Local authorities have the flexibility to use their funding to respond to local needs. The Government is providing around £1.6 billion additional grant funding within the Local Government Central Grant (LGDEL) each year. This will allow councils to increase their spending on the vital public services. It includes an additional £200 million investment to expand the Supporting Families programme, which helps to tackle ASB.

Answered by:
Kit Malthouse (Conservative)
2 December 2021