The Home Secretary will set out his plans after surveys suggesting that bad parenting is the main cause of antisocial behaviour among the young.

Writing in The Observer yesterday, Mr Reid said that, where parents were failing, the Government had to offer them help. Initially this should be without coercion because most people accepted help when it was offered.

“But where people really need it and their children are at risk we should not shy away from using court orders to make sure they are attending parenting classes,” he added.

The Government has allocated about £70 million to support parenting in the Respect action plan. The money is being spent on improving the quality and availability of parenting programmes.

Officials say that the popularity of television programmes such as Supernanny and Little Angels shows that there is an appetite among parents for support. They also say that research has shown a significant improvement in the behaviour of children who have attended classes.

Ministers are ready to dismiss accusations of expanding the “nanny state”, arguing that action to stop repeat offending by the young at an early age will save the taxpayer in the long term.

Mr Reid pointedly refused yesterday to rule himself in or out of a Labour leadership contest amid fresh signs of tensions with Gordon Brown over spending. Mr Reid said that it would be “presumptuous and complacent” for him to announce his intentions before a vacancy was available.

A leaked letter showed that the Treasury was questioning Mr Reid’s proposals for the extended probation supervision of dangerous offenders because of the costs.

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, was trying to broker a compromise between the Treasury and the Home Office, according to the letter. Stephen Timms, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, believed that the plans could “create substantial new pressures on the Prison and Probation Services”.

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