Extract from Commons debate on the February Adjournment - Feb 13
Friday, 14 February 2020 08:24
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con):...One of the major issues that
most people associate me with is homelessness. I piloted the
Homelessness Reduction Bill through the House in 2017. The Act has
only been in operation effectively for a year; the duty to refer
has been in operation for just over a year. Many thousands of
people up and down the country have been prevented from becoming
homeless as a direct result of the biggest shake-up in homelessness
legislation for more than 40 years. But we...Request free trial
(Harrow East) (Con):...One of the major issues that most people
associate me with is homelessness. I piloted the Homelessness
Reduction Bill through the House in 2017. The Act has only been in
operation effectively for a year; the duty to refer has been in
operation for just over a year. Many thousands of people up and
down the country have been prevented from becoming homeless as a
direct result of the biggest shake-up in homelessness legislation
for more than 40 years. But we still have a big
problem. We see every day the signs of
homelessness in this country, with people sleeping rough on our
streets. I repeat: it is a national scandal that in this country,
we still have people sleeping rough. I want the Government to
repeal the Vagrancy
Act 1824, which makes
it a crime to not have anywhere to live. That cannot be right in a
civilised society. People who are homeless need assistance, not to
be arrested and taken to a police station. We need a revision of
the law to combat aggressive begging, which we unfortunately see on
our streets and our public transport system every day...
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