Vagrancy Act 1824
Commons · Question 15982 · Tabled 6 Jul 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Official record
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Question
Asked by Wendy Morton
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
Answer
Answered by Alison McGovern, 14 Jul 2026
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 That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.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...