We are grateful to the noble Lord, and we will miss him for the rest of our deliberations.
We have had many interesting debates on the issue of housing during the discussion on the Bill, from the need to introduce the decent homes standard into the privately rented sector or to address much more urgently the need to improve the energy efficiency of our homes. But I would argue that these amendments are particularly critical, not least during the cost of living crisis, as they deal with the really important issue of evictions and homelessness. Of course, they come at a time when there is huge pressure on temporary accommodation, given all the additional demands being made—not least, in housing refugees. We know that local councils are massively stretched and are using bed and breakfasts and hotels well beyond the legal limit.
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As we have heard from the noble Lord, Lord Best, these are not the ideally worded amendments that we would like but the best that are allowed to be done under the rules of the game, as it were. We know that, at the time when the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage, first introduced the amendment, we did not have any sense of when a ban on no-fault evictions would be coming in. Of course, it was a commitment in the 2019 Conservative manifesto and was contained in the 2022 Queen’s Speech. That legislation has now materialised, in the Renters (Reform) Bill introduced in the other place on 17 May, which would bring into force the long-awaited ban on Section 21 evictions. That is welcome, if overdue, and we on these Benches have supported and called for it for a very long time.
We know that it is vital legislation. For example, Shelter pointed to a 50% rise in the number of households in England threatened with homelessness as a result of Section 21 evictions. Given that access to secure, decent and so-called affordable housing is a key metric of the Government’s pride in place mission, I would think that the ban on no-fault evictions would definitely support the implementation of the Bill. We absolutely appreciate that the Government will say that this proposal is unnecessary, given the introduction of the Renters (Reform) Bill. However, as we have already heard, given the current uncertainty about the timeline for the Bill’s passage, it would be extraordinarily helpful if the Minister, as I am sure she is going to, would give us some assurances on when the ban on no-fault evictions is likely to come into force.
Similarly, the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, would require the Government —again, using the required language—to publish an assessment of the effect of the Vagrancy Act on levelling up. Of course, that is linked to the previous amendment, not only because it relates to homelessness but because it relates to another important government commitment. Noble Lords will recall, in response to an amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Best, during the passage of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act in 2021, the Government introduced their own measure to repeal the Vagrancy Act. That was a response that came after many years of campaigning from many organisations, including Crisis and my honourable friend in the other place, Layla Moran MP. However, despite the PCSC Act including provision for the repeal of the Vagrancy Act, yet again the section commencing the repeal has not yet come into force. As the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, reminded us, more than 1,000 people have been arrested under the Vagrancy Act since the Government pledged to scrap it.
We can talk about levelling up, but how can we do that when we still have an Act that forces us to belong in the age of Dickens? The Government should be concerned with the causes of homelessness and not wasting police time in arresting people who are sleeping rough. My question is a simple one: when are the Government going to commence the repeal of the Vagrancy Act? Those facing homelessness, especially those sleeping rough, are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and surely we cannot level up if we do not put them at the centre of our conversations about housing.