Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police forces in England on the use of the Vagrancy Act 1824 to arrest rough sleepers.

The Government is committed to ending rough sleeping, and published their cross Government strategy, Ending Rough Sleeping for good, on 3 September 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-for-good .

This strategy sets out the work that is underway, including the joint commitment of both the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure “everyone experiencing rough sleeping to have an appropriate and timely offer of support, tailored to their needs and the services they are eligible for, and that all agencies have the tools they need to unlock this support.”

The Strategy is backed by vital funding of £2 billion over three years.

Police officers can reference the ASB toolkit, with specific pages on Rough Sleeping which is produced by the National Police Chiefs Council. The Government are considering what further guidance is required alongside work on the repeal and replacement of the Vagrancy Act.