Tony Blair has unveiled new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour as he steps up his 'respect' agenda.
The prime minister used a keynote speech on Tuesday to detail a range of new policies and approaches to give communities more power.
Denying he was seeking to return to a "golden age" of the past, Blair said he wanted to take powers further to "get on top of 21st century crime".
Blair said a radical approach was needed to restore the liberty of "law abiding" citizens.
Opposition Response: Conservatives
David Cameron said: "We need to use the good sense in our communities, and support it. Tony Blair's recycled crackdowns miss the point.
"This issue is too important to be dealt with by 'eye-catching initiatives' designed to get newspaper headlines.
"It's about getting to grips with the real problems, tackling the long-term causes of our society's loss of respect.
"That's why we're putting forward our real respect agenda - based on our core values: trusting people, and sharing responsibility.
Opposition Response: Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "If the prime minister is serious about helping families and communities to create a safer and more respectful society, we will support him.
"It is an enormous challenge and it cannot be achieved with this government's usual mish-mash of gimmicks and spin.
"The proposal for a national parenting academy sounds like the worst sort of nanny state.
"While many people with young children could benefit from meeting and talking to other families, decisions about parenting are ultimately decisions for parents.
"Central government cannot dictate how parents form loving relationships with their children."
Stakeholder Response: ACPO
Matt Baggott, ACPO lead on neighbourhood policing and chief constable of Leicestershire Constabulary, said: "Neighbourhood policing is about giving greater access to the public over local policing decisions, and measures announced today in the action plan should allow a more consistent approach by both police, local authorities and other key agencies.
"The requirement for all partners to be more responsive to the public is to be welcomed, and we look forward to continuing the work that many forces already do in ensuring face to face dialogue with the community.
"Over time, we hope that the new powers given to local committees will effectively become redundant.
"Once neighbourhood policing is implemented in all areas, and if local authorities and the police are working well together, we hope that the public will not need recourse to the proposed scrutiny committees.
"Evidence from areas where neighbourhood policing is already embedded in local communities suggest that police are ahead of the game in meeting their needs and expectations.
"We look forward to further discussion with the government over how we make the best use of Police Community Support Officers in providing a better local service and innovative ways to reduce anti-social behaviour.
"We know from experience that persistent offenders have a disproportionate effect on anti-social behaviour, and that is why we have been successfully targeting those people we know are responsible for a disproportionately high number of crimes and offences.
"We would like to see this focused approach more widely used in tackling vulnerable neighbourhoods, young people and families.
"We hope to see these critical interventions featuring heavily in local area agreements being taken forward locally by those agencies responsible for tackling crime and promoting quality of life."
Stakeholder Response: ASCL (formerly SHA)
Dr John Dunford, general secretary of ASCL, said: "For schools this is not a new agenda.
"They have been working for a long time to build respect within their communities. In many cases it is an uphill struggle against popular culture and mainstream society.
"Schools need all adults, including politicians, pop stars and footballers, to back them up by modeling good behaviour in order to make a difference.
"We welcome the prime minister’s support for schools in tackling behaviour, in particular by reminding parents that they have responsibilities as well as rights."
Stakeholder Response: 4Children
Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said: "Everyone wants to live in a society based on respect – including young people.
"4Children hopes the government will take this opportunity to focus on helping young people to fulfil their potential by focusing on prevention rather than punitive, short term measures.
"The fact is that over one million young people in England hang around the streets every day with nothing to do and 70 per cent of young people say this is a reason teenagers drift into crime.
"Young people need to have access to safe and interesting places to go. When they do, it has been proven that crime levels are lowered.
"A recent interim report from the national evaluation of the Positive Activities for Young People programme shows that providing young people with places to go and things to do really does have a positive effect.
"Seventy one per cent of young people say they had learnt new things and 70 percent say they got on better with adults, since being part of the programme.
"The report also highlights that many local authorities and others have said that creating things for young people to do has significantly helped to reduce crime and create community cohesion.
"Supporting parents through intervention, not punishment has also proven to be highly effective in reducing crime.
"In the US, several states have used federal funds to provide intensive family therapy, resulting in a reduction of re-arrest rates by as much as 70 percent.
"The programme saves money with a return of $29 dollars in reduced crime, prison and victim costs for every $1 invested.
"It is essential we place serious investment into support for young people.
"Projects such as 4Children’s Make Space campaign, the national campaign to provide a network of contemporary style youth clubs throughout the UK can help foster the respect for young people as well as from young people themselves.
"The Make Space model works because young people are involved the making decisions about the clubs, thus building mutual trust and respect."
Stakeholder Response: Governetz
A spokesperson for Governetz told ePolitix.com: "On the face of it Mr Blair's stated desire to restore liberty to law-abiding citizens seems a good bargaining chip to set against the repeal of Habeas Corpus.
"But is a statist response corralling 15 ministers from seven departments and adding an extra 20 quid to on the spot fines the best way to address the issue?
"And what could be more fundamental an issue than forcing individuals and communities to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions?
"Rogue families on housing estates and residential accommodation have been allowed to inflict misery and fear to communities with seeming impunity.
"Even when the ASBO powers are enforced this is merely a shifting of the problem of crime and intimidation to some other luckless housing association or community.
"Surely a rigorous enforcement of existing criminal law and a culture that makes individuals truly accountable to the law of cause and effect would be a sharper way of focusing minds.
"The clear risk is of creating yet another unwieldy, unresponsive and inefficient attempt at joined-up government in the cause of social justice that of itself merits no respect.
Stakeholder Response: Professional Association of Teachers
Philip Parkin, general secretary of the Professional Association of Teachers, said: "I am pleased that the prime minister has recognised the importance of good parenting and is committed to supporting families with parenting problems.
"All too often schools get the blame for poor pupil behaviour, but children need to arrive at school ready and willing to learn.
"Their mental and physical preparation, and their attitudes to teachers and fellow pupils, begin at home.
"Good behaviour and respect can be taught and learned.
"However, schools have to work closely with parents so while it may be appropriate for various agencies to impose parenting orders, we must be aware that if schools were given those powers this could damage the school-parent relationship - although in some cases, where the relationship is strained, it could be necessary as a final resort."
Stakeholder Response: Association of London Government
Chairman of the Association of London Government Sir Robin Wales said: "London boroughs are committed to clamping down on the bullies and vandals who can make life a misery for their local communities.
"The government’s 'respect' agenda will strengthen the ability of the police and boroughs to prevent the mindless actions of a minority spreading misery to ordinary law-abiding people.
"The emphasis on the right kind of positive activities for young people is welcome too.
"Local councillors in London welcome the proposed 'face the people' sessions aimed at enlisting local community support for action to tackle yobbery.
"London boroughs particularly welcome the plans to make the police more accountable to local communities and we will play a key role in scrutinizing the effectiveness of action to tackle anti-social behaviour.
"We look forward to working closely with the government to ensure their 'respect' agenda provides the benefits to our communities they want and deserve."
Stakeholder Response: FSB
FSB home affairs spokesman David Croucher said: "For a small business, just one crime can mean the difference between staying in business and going bust.
"If a small shop is vandalised and cannot open until repairs are made, customers can go elsewhere and not come back.
"We welcome any moves that may address this threat to small firms.
"However, many of our members will hope that prevention is backed up with punishment, to ensure that those that threaten people's livelihoods through mindless vandalism and petty theft are given sufficiently tough sentences to deter them and others from perpetuating this cycle of crime.
"One way to do this is to measure crime against business as a separate key performance indicator for the police.
"Once the police are measured and held accountable on this they will have to target resources to it.
"Currently many of our members feel that crime against business is not taken seriously.
"This simple change would ensure that small firms face a more secure future."
