Begging and Vagrancy
2026-07-05 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · HL1655 · Official question
Question
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
Answer
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 That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.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...