Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are differences between trespass on royal and government sites and trespass on sites owned or occupied by others which justify separate legislation in respect of each type of trespass. [HL4737]
95WA
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalA variety of trespass-related provisions already exist for a number of different reasons. It is an offence to trespass on aerodromes or railways, and there are public order offences of trespass with the intention of obstructing lawful activity. However, most acts of trespass are not serious enough to warrant criminal sanctions.
Her Majesty's Goverment are currently considering whether it is necessary to create a separate offence of trespass for certain sensitive sites, including some royal and government sites, for reasons of national security. This was a recommendation in the report by Commander Frank Armstrong of 14 August 2003 following the breach of security at Windsor Castle on 21 June 2003. This recommendation was reinforced by the Report of the Security Commission of May 2004, following Ryan Parry's activities at Buckingham Palace.