§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached on the need for a criminal offence of trespass on residential premises in the light of the comments received on the consultative document issued earlier in the current year.
§ Mr. BrittanI have given careful consideration, in consultation with my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, to the considerable number of comments received in response to the consultative document on trespass on residential premises in England and Wales.
The response has shown a broad consensus that criminal sanctions should be available against uninvited 570W intrusions into people's homes. It is clearly, too, the general wish that if there is to be a new criminal offence, it should afford protection to all citizens in their homes and not be confined, for example, to royal residences. There is, however, also concern that any new offence should apply only to those who trespass intentionally and have no reasonable excuse for their behaviour.
I have therefore asked officials to draw up proposals for a new offence of trespassing on residential premises which achieves this result. The scale of the problem as indicated by our consultations was not such as to suggest that legislation is needed urgently. Proposals will be brought forward as soon as the details have been fully worked out and other commitments allow.