Written Question·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·UIN 15982

Vagrancy Act 1824

Tabled: 6 July 2026

Answered: 14 July 2026

Question

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

Alison McGovern

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 That is why we have repealed the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.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

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