§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received since January asking him to introduce legislation to make the occupation of private property while the owners are away and the refusal to leave illegal.
§ Mr. MayhewSection 7 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 already makes it an offence for a person who has entered premises as a trespasser to fail to leave when requested to do so by a displaced residential occupier or bya protected intending occupier as defined in section 7(2) of the Act.
Entry on and refusal to leave other private property is at present a matter for the civil law. We have received seven letters since January suggesting that such behaviour should be subject to criminal sanctions.