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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 before 2021.

The Government is clear that no-one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live and we are still committed to reviewing the Vagrancy Act.

This is a complex issue and we know from our engagement with stakeholders that there are diverging views about the necessity and relevance of the Vagrancy Act. That is why the Government believes that a review, rather than wholesale immediate repeal, is the right course of action and we are looking at all options including retention, repeal, replacement or amendment.

At the heart of the review will be the experiences and perceptions of a range of relevant stakeholders including the homelessness sector, the police, local authorities, business representatives, community groups and individuals with lived experience.

It is unacceptable that anyone should be sleeping on the streets in modern Britain. This does not reflect the country we should be and is why we have committed to ending rough sleeping by the end of this parliament.