Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 207 on Vagrancy Act 1824, whether it is her Department's policy to de-criminalise homelessness.

The Government is clear that homelessness has a devastating impact on those affected.

We need to take a long term approach and to tackle the different factors that can cause people to become homeless.

We will consider these issues carefully and, working with Mayors and councils across the country, develop a new cross-government strategy to put Britain back on track to ending homelessness. This will include consideration of any relevant legislation.