Leaked White Paper shows ill-conceived or duplicate legislation, not a realistic view of practical needs.

John Wadham, director of Liberty:

"Once again, the Government is throwing the statute book at real social problems, ignoring the awkward truth that resources, not ill-conceived new laws, are almost always the bigger issue.

"On-the-spot fines were a bad idea for adults; they will be no better for 10-year-old children. It lumps together potentially serious criminal offences that should be a matter for the police with more trivial offences.

"To enforce criminal penalties, you need more policemen - our police are already stretched too far and absent from the beat too often. But instead the White Paper proposes giving powers to impose fines to nameless "accredited people" - and giving powers of arrest to council officials. Only police officers, fully-trained and fully-accountable, should have police powers and be dealing with crime.

"This White Paper seems to want police officers to spend more time dealing with non-criminal behaviour; and undertrained non-police local officials to get police powers and tackle crime. It's a hopelessly wrong-headed approach.

"The Paper also apparently wants to fast-track more cases through the courts - but court waiting times are down to too many cases, too little court time. Again, it's resources - otherwise fast-tracking one set of cases simply means others waiting still longer.

"Begging should not be a crime: we should be getting rid of our archaic vagrancy laws, not upgrading them. If someone is aggressively asking for money they will already be covered by the Public Order Act. Fines and court costs won't deter people - and if they genuinely need to beg, it will actually exacerbate the problem. The Government should stop pretending that everyone on the streets is a 'professional beggar' and look again at the social causes of homelessness.

"We do, however, welcome proposals for more use of restorative justice, and of intensive fostering as an alternative to custody for some young people".