Campaigners and cross-party MPs are calling for the Government to scrap an “antiquated” law that the Housing Secretary six months ago said should be abolished. Robert Jenrick told Parliament in February that the Vagrancy Act’s “time has been and gone” and the “antiquated” law should be “consigned to history”. The 19th-century law criminalises people for rough sleeping or begging, with anyone prosecuted facing a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. Critics say the “cruel” law drives vulnerable people further away from support, and people should not be punished for being homeless. Last year there were 573 Vagrancy Act prosecutions in England and Wales. Read more on the ITV website.
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-08-24/calls-for-cruel-and-antiquated-vagrancy-act-to-be-scrapped
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