Margaret Curran said the measures were "necessary"

The minister said that measures such as allowing the police to disperse groups whom they believe could cause trouble were "very serious powers".

However, she said the issue of anti-social behaviour had to be tackled.

Ms Curran said that young people should not be allowed to think that their behaviour would go unchecked.

Listening to communities

The minister insisted that the measures, contained in the Scottish Executive's Anti-social Behaviour Bill, were "necessary".

She said: "If it was not necessary then why are we not managing the problem of anti-social behaviour more significantly?

"We are listening to those communities and they are the ones that want to support it."

Ms Curran added: "We have to recognise these are very serious issues and we have to respond very seriously."

"I have to assert absolutely that if you live with anti-social behaviour, I think it gives you a different perspective and that is the primary concern that we are addressing."

This is not phoney. This is real and this is why this executive is prioritising and delivering on it. Margaret Curran

The minister said that the dispersal measures will work alongside other resources to tackle the problem of disorder in Scotland's communities.

Ms Curran admitted that the powers did not address the underlying cause of bad behaviour, but she said it will "give some relief to communities for whom nobody has been able to help them to date".

She added: "I think that is in the interests of those young people who are perpetrating those activities as much as it's in the interests of the victims because we should not allow young people to think that behaviour can just go unchecked.

"It is not in their interests to do that."

She also hit out at Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie who said the executive was leading a "phoney debate" on the subject.

"I dare him to go to his Broomhouse constituency, where I was yesterday, and say that to them," she said.