What specific steps have been and are being taken to tackle persistent youth offending.

The action programme 2002 to reduce youth crime was launched in January. This programme outlines the steps we are taking to build a safer Scotland and to reduce youth offending. We have invested £25.5 million over four years to improve the range, quality and availability of intensive community-based programmes for persistent young offenders. Through the Youth Justice steering group, we are working closely with SCRA and representatives of the children's hearings system to identify further improvements for tackling persistent offending.