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Policing and Crime Bill

Before the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, winds up, I should like to respond to the comments made by the Minister on my amendment. He talked about the clause being helpful, but we do not believe that it will be helpful to young people, to communities or to the police. In this country we are developing a thought police by asking officers to be mind-readers and to make up their own minds on the street about the intentions of members of the public—and that is not just in this clause but in relation to other potential offences as well. My noble friend Lord Avebury was right to say that it would be far preferable for the first official action to be taken against a young person who is causing a problem to be an acceptable behaviour contract. In rejecting that suggestion, the noble Lord is rejecting a very important principle that has been known to Alcoholics Anonymous ever since it was established. To address an alcohol problem, there needs to be acceptance that there is a problem by the person concerned. That is what the acceptable behaviour contract does, so it is desirable that the young person should agree to the contract and involve themselves in addressing the objectionable behaviour. That is one of the strengths of Amendment 109A, not a weakness. I hope that the Minister will take these thoughts back with him.