§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those(a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted of (i) begging and (ii) sleeping out in 1987, 1988 and 1989 were aged (1) under 18 years, (2) 18 to 25 years (3) 25 to 55 years and (4) over 55 years;
(2) how many of those prosecutions undertaken under the provisions of the Vagrancy Act 1824 in (a) the Metropolitan police district and (b) England and Wales were dealt with by way of (i) summons and (ii) arrest;
(3) how many people were convicted of (a) sleeping out, (b) begging and (c) being found on enclosed premises in the years 1988 and 1989 in (i) the Metropolitan police district and (ii) England and Wales;
(4) how many people were prosecuted under the provisions of the Vagrancy Act 1824 in the years 1988 and 1989 in (a) the Metropolitan police district and (b) England and Wales;
(5) what figures he has as to the numbers of people prosecuted for (a) begging, (b) sleeping out and (c) being found on enclosed premises who (i) have been discharged from psychiatric care and (ii) have been discharged from local authority care.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation is not held centrally on the number of arrests under the Vagrancy Act 1824. Neither is it collected on people who have been prosecuted for offences under the Act who have been discharged from either psychiatric or local authority care. Information on the number of prosecutions and convictions under the Vagrancy Act 1824 is given in the tables.
Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.
792W
Table A. Persons prosecuted for offences of begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by age-group for years 1987 and 1988. England and Wales Prosecutions Convictions Age-group 1987 1988 1987 1988 Begging Under 18 11 8 9 7 18 to under 25 55 81 54 75 25 to under 55 349 414 327 373 55 and over 51 70 50 57 Total 466 573 440 512 Sleeping out Under 18 1 — 1 — 18 to under 25 6 6 6 5 25 to under 55 5 10 5 7 55 and over 2 1 2 1
Prosecutions Convictions Age-group 1987 1988 1987 1988 Total 14 17 14 13
Table B. Total number of prosecutions under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by summons and arrest figures for the Metropolitan Police District1 and England and Wales 1988 Area Prosecutions Arrests Summons Metropolitan Police District 1,006 996 10 England and Wales 2,810 1,988 822 1 Including the City of London.
Table C. Persons convicted of sleeping out, begging and being on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in the Metropolitan Police District1 and England and Wales 1988 Offence Metropolitan Police District England and Wales Sleeping out 10 13 Begging 455 512 Being on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose 83 374 1 Including the City of London.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost of detaining someone overnight in police cells following their arrest under the Vagrancy Act 1824; and what is the cost of the processing, conveyance and prosecution in a magistrates court of a person so arrested.
§ Mr. Peter LloydMost of the information requested is not available and would be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The average cost of a prosecution in the magistrates court is £21 (1988 prices).
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the Vagrancy Act 1824; and if he has any plans to abolish it.
§ Mr John PattenIn the past 12 months we have received seven written representations from hon. Members about the Vagrancy Act 1824, and written and oral representations from the National Association of Probation Officers, the End Vagrancy Act Campaign and the Children's Society. We have noted several observations on the subject in proceedings in both Houses. My Department has also received a few letters from members of the public.
We have no present plans to repeal the Act, which covers a wide range of offences including indecent exposure.