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Written question asked by Tom Hunt (Conservative) on Monday, 17 July 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 July 2023. It was answered by Chris Philp (Conservative) on Monday, 24 July 2023 on behalf of the Home Office.


Anti-social Behaviour: Ipswich

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help local authorities in Ipswich to reduce anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

Answer

On 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the tools they need to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we will work with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 we will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales. We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of referral. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out nationally in 2024.

On 6 July, we launched a further fifth round of the Safer Streets Fund, which will support local initiatives aimed at increasing the safety of public spaces, including town centres, by tackling neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. Since the fund launched in 2020, we have invested £120 million through four rounds supporting 270 projects across England and Wales, with a range of interventions including CCTV cameras.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales indicates that in the year to December 2022, overall crime (excluding fraud and computer misuse) was 52% lower than in the year to March 2010.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
194598
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Anti-social behaviour Ipswich
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk