Two Cities MP, Nickie Aiken, raised her concerns over the Criminal Justice Bill during a question with the Minister for Crime and Policing, Chris Philp MP.
For over a decade, Nickie has campaigned to improve services and support for rough sleepers. She has worked with colleagues and rough sleeping charities and led the campaign to repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act, ending the criminalisation of rough sleepers.
So Nickie is incredibly concerned that the Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will undo the progress we've made and will criminalise "nuisance rough sleeping". She raised these concerns again in the Commons with the Minister for Crime and Policing, Chris Philp.
Alongside fellow MPs and working with Crisis, Nickie has also laid amendments to the Bill to remove the clauses. She will continue to make the case to ensure that we give rough sleepers, who are the most vulnerable people in our society, the support they need and deserve.
In the Commons, Nickie explained,
"Walking here today, I walked past several rough sleepers sleeping in doorways and in tents. The police already have the ability to move rough sleepers on under a number of different legislation, including the Public Order Act 1986, the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and the Highways Act 1980, amongst others.
"Does the Minister understand my concerns that what is suggested in the Criminal Justice Bill criminalises rough sleepers, does not do anything to help them, and the police already have the powers but are failing to use them?"
Minister for Crime and Policing, Chris Philp MP, replied,
"Well, the various powers that the Honourable Lady lists in the various other pieces of legislation are not precisely the same as those drafted in the Criminal Justice Bill. It's worth saying the Criminal Justice Bill does not criminalise rough sleeping in general. It criminalises particular types of rough sleeping when it causes a nuisance.
"The Government, as I think I have signalled to various other members, including actually the Honourable Member for the Two Cities privately, the Government is willing to look at the way those provisions are drafted to make sure they are tightly and narrowly drawn. Because it is our intention that the first stop is always offering support and it's only as a last resort if rough sleeping causes a serious problem, for example, for businesses, that criminal sanctions are appropriate."
