Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the repeal of the Vagrancy Act on levels of rough sleeping, anti-social behaviour and street begging; whether police forces, local authorities and homelessness charities provided differing assessments during consultation; whether regional impact modelling has been undertaken; and if he will publish the evidence informing the Government’s approach.

As we work to deliver the National Plan to End Homelessness, one principle must be clear – no one should be criminalised for simply rough sleeping. That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824. The legislation did nothing to target the root causes of homelessness.

The government has instead shifted the focus towards prevention, support and earlier intervention to better support people away from the streets. Alongside repeal, targeted replacement measures have been introduced to ensure there are no gaps in powers available to protect community safety, including measures relating to facilitating begging for gain and trespass with intent to commit a crime. The government's rationale for repeal and the accompanying replacement measures was set out in my Statement to the House on 29 June 2026.