Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on tackling antisocial behaviour in Newport West constituency.

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB).

There have been no recent discussions between Ministers and the Welsh Government on ASB in Newport West. We provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies in England and Wales with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.

It is for Chief Constables and PCCs, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to local crime priorities and to help ensure that the police have the resources they need, we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.

Home Office statutory guidance was updated in June 2022. It supports local areas to make effective use of the anti-social behaviour powers. The Home Office chairs the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners from agencies, other Government departments and the Welsh Government, to discuss any arising ASB issues and share best practice.