Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2026 [Draft]
I thank Colin Beattie for bringing this important debate to the chamber. I am sorry that I am not in the chamber this evening, but I was at a funeral this afternoon. However, I wanted to speak in the debate because, in my South Scotland region, I have had frequent casework from constituents involving dangerous and antisocial behaviour.
One example that is regularly brought up is the damage that is caused by illegal e-bikes, motorbikes and quad bikes, which Colin Beattie mentioned. Residents of rural towns and villages in particular describe illegal e-bikes as being driven recklessly and at high speed, often on pavements. In other cases, motorbikes, quad bikes or other petrol off-road vehicles are regularly destroying community and private land. Whether it is play parks or farmland, they do not distinguish. Residents are understandably concerned about safety and wellbeing and are saying to me that they are genuinely fearful that someone might be seriously injured or killed because of that dangerous behaviour.
Like Colin Beattie, I commend the work of my local Police Scotland officers and their efforts to control and prevent antisocial behaviour, particularly when the service faces mounting resource pressures, with policing numbers being particularly challenging in those remote villages. More must be done to ensure that policing is adequately resourced and supported and is well equipped to deal with such behaviour.
I recognise that increased and visible community policing can impact deterrence. However, fundamentally, addressing antisocial behaviour goes beyond placing more feet on the ground. If we want to make our streets safer, protect communities and address the problem in the long run, we need to look at the deeper and wider societal issues—we need to look at tackling the root cause of antisocial behaviour. A Scottish Government review into Scotland’s approach to antisocial behaviour identified a number of systemic, deep-rooted and highly complex issues, including poor mental health; the misuse and influence of drugs and alcohol; poverty; stigma and stereotypes; and housing.
I have spoken in the chamber previously about the culture of binge drinking in Scotland. Scotland faces an alcohol crisis, with alcohol-related deaths and disease being one of the biggest challenges that our society faces. Not only is excessive drinking harmful to the individual; there is a clear link between harmful drinking and criminal behaviour, with a high number of the prison population reported to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of their offence. At the same time, we know that the root cause of alcohol misuse is often linked to poverty and deprivation, which are also connected to antisocial behaviour.
Therefore, none of those issues—antisocial behaviour, alcohol misuse and poverty—can be viewed in isolation. An independent working group on antisocial behaviour came to a similar conclusion. The group, which was tasked with developing a long-term framework for addressing antisocial behaviour, focusing on prevention and early intervention resolutions, emphasised that antisocial behaviour cannot be viewed in isolation and that, rather, it stems from deep-rooted, cross-cutting societal issues, including poverty, housing—which I mentioned—food insecurity and a lack of access to the support services that people need. The group concluded that
“Reducing antisocial behaviour requires tackling these fundamental drivers”,
and that there must be investment in prevention and support. That could mean investment in local groups, community initiatives and activities for young people to engage in things such as sport.
It is equally important, however, to have strong leadership to drive the societal change that is required to reduce antisocial behaviour. I invite the minister to outline how the Government intends to progress that work on a cross-portfolio basis, which I have spoken about before, as we go into this new session of Parliament.
Tackling the root causes of antisocial behaviour is a real investment, and I value the opportunity to discuss it tonight. I again thank Colin Beattie for bringing the issue to the chamber.