Crime and Security Bill

My Lords, I shall be very brief. Perhaps I may say how much I support the contributions of my noble friend Lady Hamwee and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick. I find it difficult to understand why the Government are in such a hurry about this matter. This is not the first time that we have discussed it, particularly in relation to extending gang injunctions to under-18s. When that was first discussed under the Policing and Crime Bill last year, we raised objections, but we also said that we should review within three years the operation of gang injunctions for adults. Yet, hardly any time has passed before another provision has come from the Government in relation to those who are 14 or over. The noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Jones, talked about getting an opportunity at some stage to scrutinise the route through the civil courts. If that is the case, perhaps I may ask her why she does not object to this matter now, for the simple reason that the measure that we agreed relating to adults has not yet had an opportunity to be put into operation. Why should we therefore be in a rush in relation to children and how they may be affected? I ask the Minister: what sort of research have the Government undertaken which brings them to the conclusion that the civil courts are the right way to take this matter forward? Did the Government take any account of the briefing from the Standing Committee for Youth Justice? It said that it did not believe that the measure would be effective at addressing the root causes of problematic behaviour. Many young people involved in gangs often have limited choice as to whether to join them, and their parents are not aware of the implications of their involvement. The standing committee came to the conclusion, therefore, that it opposed the new provision to extend to those aged 14 and over the application of injunctions for gang-related violence. I wish to put another point of view to which I ask the Minister to give some thought. There is a danger that by using such measures, we tend to criminalise our young people at a very young age. The implication of that criminal process in their adult life is very considerable. Has he ever considered the implications for many in our diverse communities? I share the concern that he expressed when he previously talked about stop and search. Here is another method by which we are criminalising gangs of young people. Perhaps we should be looking at alternative ways of dealing with this matter, as has been explained by the Standing Committee for Youth Justice. It would be very helpful if the Minister cited some evidence of why this provision is required given that the main provision for over-18s has not yet been implemented.