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Antisocial Behaviour Orders

I am announcing today statistics relating to Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). An ASBO is a civil order which protects the community from behaviour that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the perpetrator. ASBOs were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and have been available since April 1999. ASBOs can be issued to anyone aged 10 years or over. They impose restrictions on the behaviour of individuals who have behaved in an anti-social way and protect communities from often long-standing and highly intimidating activity. Breach of an ASBO is a criminal offence and can lead to custody. The maximum penalty for breach of an ASBO is five years imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000 for an adult offender. The Home Office is notified by all courts of ASBOs issued. As I indicated in my statement on 3 November, Official Report, columns 52–53 WS, a joint exercise between the Court Service and the Home Office is under way to refine and improve further the collection of these data. Data on the number of ASBOs issued are updated quarterly. New figures for the period up to June 2005 are now available. These figures show that for the period between April 1999 and June 2005 the total number of ASBOs issued (as reported to the Home Office) was 6,497. The number of ASBOs issued in the quarter April to June 2005 is 14 per cent. of the total number of ASBOs issued over all quarters and represents an increase of 48 per cent. on the same quarter last year. However, this represents an increase of 1 per cent. on last quarter's figures so the rate of increase is slowing. Of those ASBOs issued, 54 per cent. were to adults and 43 per cent. to juveniles (3 per cent. of ASBOs are age unknown). Some 47 per cent. were orders on application and 53 per cent. were orders on conviction. I have placed with the Libraries of both Houses a briefing note containing information about ASBOs and the ASBOs statistics issued today.