(Wirral West) (Lab) [V]:...The petition that
is the subject of today’s debate also raises important concerns
that legislation making intentional trespass a criminal offence
could impact on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and I have
to say that I was very shocked by the comments of the previous
speaker. The Bill includes a new criminal offence of trespass with
the intent to reside; until now, trespass has been a civil offence.
The National Police Chiefs Council and the Association of
Police and Crime Commissionershave stated quite clearly
that
“trespass is a civil offence and our view is that it should
remain so”
and that
“no new criminal trespass offence is required”.
Why have the Government ignored that viewpoint?
(Croydon
Central) (Lab) [V]:...The views of the National Police
Chiefs Council and the Association of
Police and Crime Commissioners
were clearly put in their joint submission to the 2018
Government consultation.
They state:
“Trespass is a civil offence and our view is that it should
remain so. The possibility of creating a new criminal offence of
‘intentional trespass’…has been raised at various times over the
years but the NPCC position has been—and remains—that no new
criminal trespass offence is required. The co-ordinated use of
the powers already available under the Criminal Justice and
Public Order Act 1994 allows for a proportionate response to
encampments based on the behaviour of the
trespassers.”
Why are the Government determined to lock up Gypsies and
Travellers against even the advice of our own police?
The police already have extensive powers in the Criminal
Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to move on unauthorised
encampments. As of January 2020, just 3% of Gypsy and Traveller
caravans in England were on unauthorised encampments. Some 419 of
those caravans were on sites not tolerated and 275 were on
tolerated sites. Police and campaigners tell us that the evidence
is not there for these new powers to be necessary at all and that
many more authorised encampment sites should be provided instead.
In their joint response to the Government’s consultation on
unauthorised encampments, the Association
of Police and Crime Commissioners
and the National Police Chiefs’ Council called for the
shortage of transit sites and the lack of accommodation provision
to be addressed...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
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