Blair sets out his stall on law and order

The Prime Minister's Answers

Asked about the Government's plans to tackle nuisance neighbours, Mr Blair said the community safety orders provided for in the forthcoming Crime and Disorder Bill would allow victims to seek court injunctions to restrain harassment by neighbours.

"The community safety order will give power to local authorities and police to put people under an obligation to behave themselves," he said. "Some people say it's Draconian but I think it's right to set minimum standards of behaviour."

Asked about victim/witness intimidation, Mr Blair said, "If people are intimidated or frightened out of giving evidence it becomes impossible to mount a successful prosecution.

"At the moment witnesses can be sitting in the same room (at court) as the person who has committed the crime." He said he was interested by a suggestion from a member of the audience that a local pilot scheme - in which witnesses were given electronic pagers which alerted them when they are needed to give evidence rather than them sitting at court close to defendants _ could be adopted elsewhere in the country. "That sounds like a very good idea" said Mr Blair.

On the subkect of Alcopops Mr Blair said, "Jack Straw (Home Secretary) has already announced action on this. We are reviewing now whether there are practical things that need to be done. I think there is a real and serious problem we have to tackle - it's important we reinforce responsible behaviour in relation to this. I think you will find he (Jack Straw) will tackle it and tackle it pretty clearly."

Challenged about the problem of aggressive begging on the streets Mr Blair insisted, "My basic view is that this is not a problem we should have on the streets. There is action we can take on homelessness and unemployment, which is why we have a Bill in Parliament next week to release some capital receipts for local authorities to be able to do more about housing people."

Mr Blair said there was a significant problem over people who had been put back into the community after leaving institutions under the Care in the Community programme. He said, "That's fine if the infrastructure is there, but if not they are out there on the street, not being properly looked after and a terrible burden on the police and local authorities or their families. We need to examine the relationship between community care, the institutions and some of these problems.

"The answer to begging is not simply to feel sorry for people. It's to do something to ensure people are taken off the streets and given a roof over their heads and if possible something to do. We should not leave the problem on the streets."