§ Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to bring trespass and illegal occupation of land and buildings, including squatting, entirely within the terms of the criminal law so as to enable land and home owners to gain more rapid repossession of their land, building and homes.
Mr. John Patten [holding answer 24 March 1988]The criminal law already applies to various circumstances in which trespassers enter or occupy land or buildings.
For example, it is an offence under the Criminal Law Act 1977 to use or threaten to use violence against persons or property to secure entry to premises against the opposition of a person present there, to refuse to leave residential premises having entered as a trespasser when required to do so by a displaced occupier or intended occupier, to have a weapon of offence having entered premises as a trespasser or to obstruct or resist an officer of a court enforcing a civil judgment or order for recovery of the premises. Section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 gives the police powers to direct trespassers to leave land in certain circumstances, and it is an offence to disobey such a direction.
We have no plans at present for further legislation in this area.