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Violent Crime Reduction Bill

I do not think that the Bill is about naming and shaming. We should look for some consistency of approach in its purpose of protecting other persons from criminal or disorderly conduct while the subject is under the influence of alcohol. Those of us who have some experience of living in cities know that, like it or not, youngsters these days increasingly drink before the age of 16. Youngsters are often drunk and disorderly before they are 16 and impose themselves on the rest of the community in a variety of ways that are unacceptable. Regrettably, we have seen that in the requirement to enforce ASBOs. So there is a need for consistency in approach. The positive side relates to the opportunities for people to opt for training. The Minister said that the contents of the courses would be flexible to meet individual needs. If youngsters create mayhem, fall foul of the community and have the orders placed on them, they would have an opportunity when they come before the court to receive training that would be tailored to meet their specific needs and could be quite different from that afforded to adults.