Government issues guidance on ASB powers to councillors and MPs in bid to challenge local authorities

The government this week published new guidance for councillors, MPs and members of the Welsh Assembly on the tools and powers available to local agencies to deal with anti-social behaviour, with a view to helping them challenge what is being done about particular problems.

The Home Office said: “Where members of the public do not feel their concerns have been met, they often turn to their local MP or councillor, or in Wales their Assembly Member, for help. These guides will help democratically elected representatives to respond to their constituents’ concerns and to challenge the agencies concerned if a problem appears to be getting needlessly out of control.”

Elected representatives have a “vital role”  in working with the police, local authorities and others to ensure their constituents’ concerns are properly dealt with, it added.

The guides also promote the practitioners’ ASB ActionLine as a resource for elected representatives if they need advice on how to tackle local anti-social behaviour problems.

Separate versions of the guides are available for Wales to reflect the fact that some elements of anti-social behaviour are devolved to the National Assembly of Wales.