LIB DEM COUNCILLORS REJECT NEW POWERS

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Bath & North East Somerset have criticised 
the new powers given to Local Authorities to implement Child Curfew Orders 
for children up to the age of 15. 

 B&NES Lib Dem Leader Nigel Roberts said:

"Curfews are unworkable. The Police will always have better things to do 
than spending their time rounding up youngsters who may just be walking 
home from Scouts or their relatives.

"Child curfews are wholly inappropriate in a civilised society. Collective 
punishment is always wrong, but it is especially unethical when applied to 
teenagers. It is quite ludicrous to punish a whole community for the 
wayward behaviour of a small minority.
 

 The national leader of the Liberal Democrats in local government, 
Councillor Chris
 Clarke, has also warned local authorities not to buckle to Government 
pressure to introduce curfews.
 
 Cllr Clarke commented:
"The Government will no doubt step up the pressure on authorities to use 
their illiberal orders, but I hope that Councillors stand firm and refuse 
to compromise the liberty of our children. 
 
 "If the government want to do something really useful to help fight 
crime, they should promote the Acceptable Behaviour Contracts scheme 
pioneered by Islington Council. Given the resources and the freedom to 
innovate, local authorities are more than capable of producing 
imaginative, effective policies to tackle juvenile crime."
 
 No local authority has yet used the Child Curfew Orders.

Ends.