Government must urgently scrap Vagrancy Act as part of plan to end rough sleeping

Following today’s announcements from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary and Dame Louise Casey relating to support for rough sleepers, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “After years of prevarication it took a crisis to get the Tories to house thousands who were sleeping rough at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s vital that this support continues in the months ahead, to ensure we don’t go backwards when such progress has been made.

Education spokesperson Layla Moran

“Ministers must now show they are completely committed to tackling this issue head on.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to commit to scrapping the Dickensian Vagrancy Act – which unfairly criminalises people for rough sleeping – as a matter of urgency. Otherwise the law remains wholly incompatible with the plans outlined to support rough sleepers in the long term.”

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