Nickie Aiken, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, is proud to have led the campaign and secured the repeal of the Vagrancy Act (1824) under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, ensuring rough sleepers are no longer criminalised.
In the House of Commons Chamber, Nickie sought assurances from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, that Clause 187 in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill does not disregard our momentous steps to support the most vulnerable in our society, and that we continue to consign the Vagrancy Act to history.
Speaking out, Nickie said,
"I was very proud when this Government repealed the Vagrancy Act 1824 under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, and the last thing we should do is demonise and criminalise people who rough-sleep and beg. I absolutely appreciate that there can be antisocial behaviour with aggressive begging, but we have legislation —more robust and more modern legislation—that deals with that. Therefore, I was concerned to see that clause 187 of the new Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill disregards the repeal of the Vagrancy Act. When is a repeal not a repeal?"
Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, replied,
"There will be no return to the Vagrancy Act. We will work with the Home Office to ensure that there are appropriate measures to deal with any form of antisocial behaviour, but criminalising rough-sleeping and begging is not on the agenda."
