The Scottish Executive is making 64m available between 2006 and 2008 for local authorities to tackle antisocial behaviour. But justice minister Cathy Jamieson has warned authorities that ministers must be satisfied that powers such as ASBOs, tagging and dispersal orders will be used before the money is distributed.
Jamieson's comments follow a Scottish Executive study that found widespread concern among local authorities about using tagging orders or ASBOs on under-16s. No Scottish local authority has so far imposed an ASBO on a young person under 16 and two out of three said they were unlikely to use the powers.
Jamieson has given authorities until the end of June to draw up agreements stating how they intend to use antisocial behaviour powers.
"I do not believe that any local authority or any other agency should be ruling out the possibility of using the legislation," said Jamieson.
"If they do so they are failing the local residents and failing the young people they are trying to help."
But Councillor Reverend Ewan Aitken, education spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, condemned Jamieson's stance. "The point about giving funds to local authorities is that we decide locally what's appropriate for our area," he said.
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