NO - Chris Gravell, policy officer, Advisory Centre for Education
Confining children to the house will not be a difficulty for parentswith large gardens but it is going to be a problem for parents insmaller spaces, whose front doors open immediately on to public spaces.Those children will effectively not see any daylight during the winterand it probably will mean they are not getting adequate exercise. Thoseparents who can't keep their children indoors may be fined in anarbitrary way when they actually need a lot more help.
YES - Angus Macdonald, director of anti-social behaviour consultancyCommunity Assist
Prosecuting parents who fail to keep their children off the streets canbe appropriate in some circumstances. If it goes to court, the judgewill ask whether it is reasonable to prosecute the parent. If the parentcan demonstrate they have done everything they can to keep that child inthe house, then I don't think a judge would prosecute. There should notbe a blanket approach but I think it is appropriate to prosecute thoseparents who do not take their responsibilities seriously.
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