Written Question · S1W-33218 · Session 1
What progress has been made in respect of its 10-point action plan on youth crime with particular regard to spreading best practice, a nati…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of its 10-point action plan on youth crime with particular regard to spreading best practice, a nationwide application of a system of warnings, re-configuring secure accommodation for girl-only accommodation, establishing national standards to operate between the local authority criminal justice system and children's hearings and increasing the speed of referral to the courts in the light of its report and statement on the recommendations of its Youth Crime Review, the Report of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime, Scotland's Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 and the Audit Scotland's report, Dealing with Offending and Young People.
The answer
We have made considerable progress towards the implementation of the Action Plan. The following table sets out the latest position:Ten-Point Action Plan | Action
1. A pilot of Fast-track Children's Hearings for persistent offenders under 16 | An operational framework for the pilot has been agreed with all involved. National and local training is now under way for professional staff, panel members and other relevant groups. Expect first referrals to fast track hearings soon.
2. A Youth Courts feasibility project for persistent offenders aged 16 and 17, with flexibility to deal with 15-year-olds. | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33423 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
3. Reviewing the scope for using Restriction of Liberty Orders, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Community Service Orders for persistent offenders | Improving the effectiveness of these disposals for this age group is under cross-departmental consideration. Expect to publish proposals shortly.
4. A Safer Scotland police campaign on high visibility policing, covering Youth Disorder, to increase visibility and provide community re-assurance. | The Safer Scotland campaign ran from October to December. Initial feedback from the police involved is that the campaign was a success and that it met its main objectives.
5. Spread best practice, and establish firm standards, for community-based projects funded through the Action Programme, Better Neighbourhood Services Fund programmes and Making Communities Safer programmes. | A small number of pilot projects are being funded as a means of testing out different approaches to tackling youth crime and we will share best practice arising from these. The process of commissioning research which will evaluate the experience of community safety projects and community-based projects focusing on youth crime is also under way.
6. Consideration of a Scotland-wide application of a system of cautions/warnings, and a detailed exploration of restorative cautions approach, perhaps through piloting. | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33085 on 21 January 2003.
7. Reconfiguring the secure accommodation available nationally to provide groups of girl-only accommodation, further consideration of additional places and improving the range and provision of programmes in secure units | The Executive's intention to increase the number of places by around 25 places was announced on 17 September. Details are on the Scottish Executive website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2002/09/Seed102.aspx. For more recent developments, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32801 on 20 December 2002.
8. A set of national standards to operate between local authorities, the criminal justice system and Children's Hearings, covering reporting, timescales and follow up | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33098 on 22 January 2003. |
1. A pilot of Fast-track Children's Hearings for persistent offenders under 16 | An operational framework for the pilot has been agreed with all involved. National and local training is now under way for professional staff, panel members and other relevant groups. Expect first referrals to fast track hearings soon.
2. A Youth Courts feasibility project for persistent offenders aged 16 and 17, with flexibility to deal with 15-year-olds. | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33423 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
3. Reviewing the scope for using Restriction of Liberty Orders, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Community Service Orders for persistent offenders | Improving the effectiveness of these disposals for this age group is under cross-departmental consideration. Expect to publish proposals shortly.
4. A Safer Scotland police campaign on high visibility policing, covering Youth Disorder, to increase visibility and provide community re-assurance. | The Safer Scotland campaign ran from October to December. Initial feedback from the police involved is that the campaign was a success and that it met its main objectives.
5. Spread best practice, and establish firm standards, for community-based projects funded through the Action Programme, Better Neighbourhood Services Fund programmes and Making Communities Safer programmes. | A small number of pilot projects are being funded as a means of testing out different approaches to tackling youth crime and we will share best practice arising from these. The process of commissioning research which will evaluate the experience of community safety projects and community-based projects focusing on youth crime is also under way.
6. Consideration of a Scotland-wide application of a system of cautions/warnings, and a detailed exploration of restorative cautions approach, perhaps through piloting. | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33085 on 21 January 2003.
7. Reconfiguring the secure accommodation available nationally to provide groups of girl-only accommodation, further consideration of additional places and improving the range and provision of programmes in secure units | The Executive's intention to increase the number of places by around 25 places was announced on 17 September. Details are on the Scottish Executive website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2002/09/Seed102.aspx. For more recent developments, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32801 on 20 December 2002.
8. A set of national standards to operate between local authorities, the criminal justice system and Children's Hearings, covering reporting, timescales and follow up | I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33098 on 22 January 2003. |
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S1W-33218 by reference.