Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his section 1.21 of his guidance for landlords and tenants entitled Will bailiffs enforce evictions across the Christmas period, for which categories of cases evictions will be permitted to proceed during the period covered by the winter truce.

The Government has announced that evictions should not be carried out in England and Wales in the run up to and over Christmas and the New Year, from 11 December until 11 January, except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse. This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and local authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services during this time. A short list of the categories of cases which will be exempted from this “winter pause” will be issued well in advance of the Christmas period.