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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of granting local authorities and the police greater powers to regulate aggressive street beggars and other disruptive or antisocial behaviours by members of the street community.

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 That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.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.

Through the Crime and Policing Act, we have introduced replacement measures where the repeal of the Vagrancy Act would have left gaps in the powers available to the police. This includes an offence of facilitating begging for gain that is intended to address organised begging, which is often facilitated by criminal gangs, exploits vulnerable individuals, and can undermine the public’s sense of safety. We are also making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult anti-social behaviour offenders.

Where there is harm or anti-social behaviour, local areas should act, using proportionate enforcement, where necessary. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

We will publish updated statutory guidance, alongside an Outreach Toolkit to provide advice on designing and delivering services, including the role of enforcement.