Victims of anti-social behaviour should not be forced to suffer in silence

New powers to tackle anti-social behaviour which have been announced by Home Secretary Theresa May come just weeks after she saw first-hand the aftermath of such incidents on Harlow’s Berecroft estate.

The Home Secretary saw how the community had rallied round following vandalism on the estate, with the rebuilding of a vandalised youth shelter, and met local residents who were working with the local police community support officers to make the area a better place to live.

The government has now published new plans to ensure victims of anti-social behaviour should have crimes they report acted on immediately.

Complex red tape will be trimmed to give police and other local agencies relevant, lasting and efficient powers to crack down on problems.

Official figures from HMIC show 68 per cent of people reporting anti-social behaviour to police have done so more than once, usually regarding the same problem.

It was also found that some people don’t bother to report incidents as they have little faith in anything being done.

Local police and other agencies will be given a set of six new fast and flexible powers to make the message clear: anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.

For the first time, victims who feel their problems are not being taken seriously enough will have the right to force action through a newly-introduced Community Trigger.

Anti-social behaviour can blight the lives of hard working people who play by the rules. But this crime often goes unreported because the existing measures to deal with it simply don't work.

The new powers announced by the government sweep away the failed measures of the past and at last give our local police and agencies the tools they need to stamp out antisocial behaviour for good.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “It’s time to put victims first. That’s what this government will do. Our new plans aim to give victims the chance to have their problem dealt with immediately.
“We will slash the confusing and cumbersome legislation that leaves victims without a voice and police and other agencies without the ability to really tackle the problem.
“Police and local agencies will now have clarity and the powers to come down hard on those who inflict anti-social behaviour on others.”

The government will publish a draft bill for scrutiny by Parliament.

Victims and frontline practitioners will be involved in shaping the new legislation which will replace ten years of confusing and complex legislation.

The White Paper builds on the reforms already underway to fundamentally change the way crime and disorder is dealt with and the relationship between the public, the police and local and central government.

The introduction of directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) later this year and the publication of local crime data online, including ASB, is making policing more accountable and responsive to local concerns.

The HMIC report is available online at http://www.hmic.gov.uk/programmes/anti-social-behaviour/

Other elements of the new powers are:

• Criminal Behaviour Order – can be used in more circumstances than the ASBO as it will have a simpler test (meaning agencies won’t have to re-prove past anti-social behaviour).
It can be used to target the most seriously anti-social individuals and will aim not only to stop existing ASB but also change behaviour as it will include positive requirements which can be used to prevent re-offending, another departure from the ASBO. Breach would be a criminal offence with a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.

• Crime Prevention Injunction - will replace five existing powers. As a purely civil injunction it will be faster to use than the ASBO, can be used at an earlier stage and secured using the civil standard of proof.
Breach would be contempt of court and carry serious penalties including custody.
Police officers and other professionals will also be able to give evidence on behalf of the community which protects vulnerable witnesses. It will improve the ASB Injunction by broadening the range of agencies who can apply for an injunction (the police and councils, but also, for example, NHS Protect who deal with ASB against hospital staff) and could be used in a wider range of circumstances (for example against nightmare neighbours in the private rented sector).

• Community Protection Notice – issued to an individual to deal with a wide range of problems affecting quality of life in a community e.g. a front garden being used as a dumping ground.

• Community Protection Order (Public Space) - a flexible local authority power (in consultation with the police and Police and Crime Commissioner) to put in place local restrictions to address a range of anti-social behaviour and prevent future problems. It marks a clear difference between the old system of a separate power for every situation, to a new system which emphasizes local discretion and flexibility.

• Community Protection Order (Closure) - would simplify existing powers to close particular premises that are a constant focus for severe anti-social behaviour, making the lives of those nearby a misery.

• Directions Power – will consolidate existing police dispersal powers into a single, less bureaucratic power, removing the need for the police to designate a specific‘dispersal zone’ in advance.This will mean the police can deal quickly with emerging trouble before it gets out of control or the behaviour starts to affect victims and communities seriously.

High-tech Apprentice School to open in Harlow

A high-tech Apprentice School is to open in Harlow following my two-year campaign.

- The UTC will provide vocational training and pre-apprenticeships for around 600 pupils, aged 14 to 19. It will also teach Maths and English and other core GCSEs and A-Levels.

- The key focus will be on medical technology to support local employers and the new medical Enterprise Zone opening in Harlow next year.

This is an incredible day for Harlow. For two years I have worked with Harlow College, Anglia Ruskin University and others to bring a high-tech vocational school to our town.

"This will mean millions of pounds of new investment for Harlow, jobs, and regeneration. Adding to our local schools, it will give local youngsters aged 14 to 19 the chance to get high-tech skills and opportunities for the future.

For two years I have had numerous meetings with Education Ministers and decision-makers, asking them to green light this project. Plus I have raised it several times in Parliament, with everyone from the Prime Minister down, to win support.

I was pleased to bring together the bid partners, including world-beating Harlow firms like Pearson UK, GSK, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Johnson Controls, and the Joint Contracts Tribunal.

Harlow is an entrepreneurial town. We have the highest business growth in the UK. The Enterprise Zone opening next year will give us 5,000 extra jobs, and low-tax business climate.

But this new University Technical College will help to make sure that local Harlow youngsters benefit.

For far too long, we suffered from a problem with youth unemployment. This new high-tech apprentice school will be a huge boost.

I am very proud as Harlow's MP to see something that I and others have worked for - for so long - come into being.

Colin Hindmarch, Principal of Harlow College, said: "I'm delighted that we've won this bid. Many, many people have worked to make this happen.

"But it was thanks especially to two years of solid hard work from Robert Halfon MP, who has campaigned publicly and behind the scenes, to bring a UTC to Harlow - with all that it means for new jobs, apprenticeship training and new opportunities for young people.

“From the beginning, Rob has worked tirelessly to make this happen. He is passionate about apprenticeships - and even employs a Harlow College apprentice in his office."
In addition to the key events, meetings, and parliamentary debates and questions recorded below I have also corresponded over 130 times by email and letter over the last two years to build the Harlow UTC bid (primarily with key bid partners, but also with local and national media, and the Civil Service).

2010

04 Jun 2010 - Initial meeting with Colin Hindmarch, Principal of Harlow College, and his staff.

21 Jul 2010 - Spoke in a Parliamentary debate on Apprentices, and urged the Government to invest more in vocational education: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?gid=2010-07-21b.80.0

28 Jul 2010 - Met with Cllr Stephen Castle (Education Portfolio, Essex County Council) to seek his support for a UTC bid in Harlow.

06 Sep 2010 - Met with officials from BakerDearing Trust, to discuss a UTC bid in Harlow.

03 Oct 2010 - Met with Rod Bristow of Pearson UK to discuss outline of UTC bid in Harlow.

02 Nov 2010 - Met again with Rod Bristow of Pearson UK to discuss how UTC bid can be developed successfully with partners.

09 Nov 2010 - Met with Mike Thorne (Vice-Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University) to discuss a UTC bid in Harlow

30 Nov 2010 - Met with GSK to ask for their support, as an employer, for the UTC bid.

2011

08 Feb 2011 - Raised the prospect of a Harlow UTC bid in Parliament: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110208/debtext/110208-0002.htm#11020841000786

15 Feb 2011 - Phonecall with senior GSK executive about the UTC bid.

21 Mar 2011 - Brought Health Minister to GSK, to make the case to Government for a medi-tech UTC in Harlow.

24 Mar 2011 - Secured the support of the Leader of the House of Commons for a Harlow UTC, in a Parliamentary debate:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110324/debtext/110324-0001.htm#11032467001368

28 Mar 2011 - Secured the support of Education Secretary Michael Gove for a Harlow UTC, in Education Questions in the House of Commons: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110328/debtext/110328-0002.htm#11032822000295

30 Mar 2011 - Secured the support of Prime Minister David Cameron for a Harlow UTC, in Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110330/debtext/110330-0001.htm#11033062001945

04 Apr 2011 - Met again with Mike Thorne (Vice-Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University), Harlow College, and Johnson Controls Ltd to progress the UTC bid in Harlow.

08 Apr 2011 - Met with senior officials of Pearson UK to discuss UTC bid.

12 May 2011 - Met again with Cllr Stephen Castle (Education Portfolio, Essex County Council) to confirm his support for a UTC bid in Harlow.

10 Jun 2011 - Telephone call with Pearson UK to discuss UTC bid in Harlow.

22 Jun 2011 - Spoke in support of UTCs in the House of Commons http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?gid=2011-06-22b.81.1

12 Jul 2011 - Met with Lord Baker and Lord Adonis to discuss progressing the Harlow bid.

19 Aug 2011 - First pitch meeting to the Dept. for Education civil servants at Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith Street Westminster LONDON SW1P 3PT.

22 Sep 2011 - Visited Harlow College to speak with students and staff at the Student Fair, about the proposal of a UTC on-campus.

26 Oct 2011 - Meeting with Lord Baker in Peers Lobby (House of Lords).

01 Nov 2011 - Attended the UTC applicants reception in House of Lords, to support the Harlow bid.

02 Nov 2011 - Successfully applied for a debate in Parliament, specifically about UTCs. Urged the Government to back a UTC bid for Harlow and to invest more in vocational training: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2011-11-02a.1058.2

2012

09 Jan 2012 - Meeting of all UTC bid partners at Harlow College, to plan final bid to Dept. for Education

24 Jan 2012 - Spoke at Westminster Education Forum, in favour of the Harlow UTC bid.

08 Feb 2012 - Second meeting of all UTC bid partners at Harlow College, to plan final bid to Dept. for Education.

09 Feb 2012 - Met with Lord Baker and Baker Dearing Trust officials in Parliament.

09 Feb 2012 - Attended UTC applicants event in the House of Lords along with Harlow College, GSK, and Anglia Ruskin University.

27 Apr 2012 - Met with senior GSK executives in Harlow.

19 Mar 2012 - Spoke at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skills, in favour of UTCs and the regeneration and jobs that they can bring to towns such as Harlow.

20 Mar 2012 - Spoke at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprentices, in favour of the Harlow UTC bid.

21 May 2012 - Submitted evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skills, making the case for additional funding for UTCs.

28 May 2012 - Victory! The Department for Education confirm that they will officially back Robert Halfon's campaign, and approve the bid for a University Technical College in Harlow.

Some special news for Harlow: A brand new pre Apprentice school is on its way

After nearly two years of work: meetings by the dozen, debates in Parliament, Commons Motions, Questions to the Prime Minister, Business Secretary and Education Secretary and much more besides, I can exclusively reveal that Harlow has won a bid to have a brand new pre-Apprentice School (known as a University Technical School). The school will be funded by Government, and will be free to all students.

This UTC will be based at Harlow College, will be open for ages 14 to 19, and is supported by Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow College, Anglia Ruskin University, GSK and much more besides, including Rivers Hospital and Pearsons.  The focus is on vocational education with a health technician bias - hence the support from PAH and Rivers.

For many months now, Harlow College and Anglia Ruskin, have been working hard on the bid and, were recently interviewed by the Department for Education, to go through the proposals.  Both the College and the University could not have done more to make this bid a success.

Given that the Government have announced just a few UTCs, our bid had to be watertight, in terms of sponsors, curriculum and finance.My role was to keep up the political pressure and work in Parliament to help make the case to the Government for the UTC. 

As regular readers will know, I have a passion for apprentices, have employed two apprentices working with me in the Commons, worked to establish the National Apprentice Card with NUS and set up the Parliamentary Apprentice scheme alongsode the charity, New Deal of the Mind.

When I first heard of the Government's proposals for pre-apprentice schools, I knew that Harlow must have one - after all - we are a town that thrives on vocational education. Nearly two years ago, in the Commons, I introduced Harlow College to Lord Baker, (tasked by the Education Secretary to run the UTC movement).  Lord Baker subsequently came to Harlow to visit the College.  The rest - as the saying goes - is history.

As MP for Harlow, I am absolutely delighted that Harlow is going to have this new school, with all the investment and opportunities it will bring. I am also very proud in having done as much as I possibly could to help make it happen.

P.S. See these blogposts which will give you some of the context:  http://roberthalfon.blogspot.com/search?q=utc&m=0

Letter from the Education Minister about the new UTC for Harlow

A Revolutionary Watch

As regulars will know, I just love watches, especially mechanical ones.

On Thursday evening, I attended a meeting of the Clock Group from the Harlow area of University of the Third Age.

Local Clock and Watches expert David Penney was there from the Antique Watch Store, who proceeded to show everyone a number of his watches.

One of the most amazing, was an antique French revolutionary pocket watch, which has two time zones - conventional GMT time and 'decimal' time, as the leaders of the Revolution had attempted to change the time of day into ten hours.

He also showed us a Smith wristwatch, which was produced in England up until the Second World War. Our country used to have a proud tradition of watch making but lost out to the Swiss, party because of the invention of machinery, which the industry failed to adopt, partly because watch-makers switched to make war machinery for the war effort.

I have spoken before in the House of Commons about the decline of British Horology and you can read more Here:

http://roberthalfon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/history-of-watch-and-clock-making-in-uk.html?m=1

At present there are only a few British watch makers and they produce individual watches costing many thousands of pounds. Windmill watches, painstakingly handmade in Essex, are more affordable - beautiful and unique - but have Swiss automatic movements (http://www.jandtwindmills.com/).

Sadly, most watchmaking has moved to the Far East, where the components are made cheaply, whilst luxury mechanical watches still have their main home in Switzerland.

It was a good evening with the clock group. To see the intricate hand-made mechanics of pocket watched produced hundreds of years ago is something very special - especially to hear the ticking noises and watch the rotation of the springs and wheels.

The attached photos are just a small illustration of what I saw and of the watches some members had. The clock in the picture is an antique which formerly was housed in the the Savoy Hotel.

VIDEO: Cheaper petrol on the BBC Daily Politics

Yesterday I appeared on the BBC Daily Politics programme, continuing to press for CHEAPER PETROL AND DIESEL - as I have been now for over two years, as Harlow's MP.

You can watch the video highlights HERE.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.

VIDEO: BBC ratchet up the pressure on petrol-prices

BBC journalist Andrew Sinclair has filed a MUST SEE report on the MPs debate, which I led yesterday, calling for cheaper petrol and diesel (you can see a video HERE).

As he says in his report, fuel prices are now at boiling point and this is one issue that is just not going away for millions of hardpressed people. We need action on tax, on the oil companies, and on banks recklessly speculating on the price of oil.

To sign the petition for cheaper petrol and diesel, visit www.petrolpromise.com - and ask YOUR local MP to join the fight.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.