- Peter Saul & Jack Fenwick
- bbc politics
image source, Getty Images
Home Secretary James Cleverley is under increasing pressure to reconsider plans to crack down on “nuisance” rough sleeping in England and Wales.
The government is expected to make concessions in the coming weeks to stem the backbench rebellion.
Dozens of Conservative MPs are thought to oppose the plans.
More than 30 charities have now written to Mr Cleverley warning that vulnerable women could be fined for seeking shelter under the scheme.
Measures in the Criminal Justice Bill will allow police to crack down on “nuisance” rough sleepers and fine or arrest them if they do not comply.
But critics say the definition of a nuisance is too broad and includes things like causing excessive noise or odors, making threats or damaging property.
Ministers are continuing to hold talks with potential Tory rebels seeking to block the plan in parliament, trying to find an approach to win them over.
“There's nowhere else to go.”
Those debates are expected to resume next week when Parliament returns from its Easter break, and backbenchers are confident there will be some movement.
The Home Office says the measures will address rough sleeping and begging “when it causes harm, disruption, harassment or distress to the public, while avoiding criminalizing truly vulnerable people”.
These will replace the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which criminalized begging and rough sleeping.
But Conservative backbencher Bob Blackmun has tabled several amendments to the bill and believes the new plans are worse than the 19th century law.
“These people are not there by choice, they are there because they have nowhere else to go,” he told the BBC.
“They should be assisted, not arrested,” he added.
Former Conservative Party minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith is one of 11 Tories to publicly support his proposals, along with opposition MPs.
More Conservative names are expected to be added to the amendment bill when Parliament returns from its Easter break next week.
Around 32 Conservative MPs will need to back the proposal to win, but it is understood the government is not keen to discuss the topic publicly within the party.
Home Office officials say they do not believe their plans will criminalize rough sleeping.
But police want to give them enough powers to deal with aggressive beggars.
The bill was written when Suela Braverman was Home Secretary, and government officials have stressed that the Home Office is now headed by another person, Mr Cleverley.
“The reality is that governments sometimes have to make tough decisions in the interests of the majority,” said a friend of Mr Braverman's.
They said homelessness is a “difficult subject” and “no one likes to talk about it”, but “there can't be a situation where shop owners have their doors blocked by people and can't get them to come forward”. ” he said.
The letter, signed by groups including Crisis, Amnesty UK and the Big Issue, praises the Government's measures to end sleep deprivation, but claims elements of the Criminal Justice Bill will “undermine” those promises. There is.
“Women, who are disproportionately likely to experience violence and sexual abuse on the streets, may be penalized for seeking shelter and safety in well-lit doorways,” the researchers wrote.
“Those found to be giving off an 'excessive odor' could be fined up to £2,500.”
“Last Chance Saloon”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This bill focuses on anti-social behavior, such as causing environmental damage such as excessive noise and litter. No,” he said.
“We will continue to engage with stakeholders and MPs in the usual way until the bill passes Congress.”
There are at least 93 proposed amendments to the criminal justice bill, ranging from abortion to gay conversion therapy.
The bill has been likened to a “Christmas tree” because of its broad scope, allowing MPs to attach a variety of issues.
With a general election just around the corner, one government official said he believed the bill had become a “last chance bar” for lawmakers to propose reforms of interest.
It is not clear when the bill will return to the House of Commons, but its increased complexity is believed to be preventing it from doing so.
