Begging And Drinking In Public Places

EDM number 708 in 1996-97, proposed by David Nicholson on 19/03/1997.

That this House is concerned at the growing numbers of beggars and drinkers in public places who cause nuisance and alarm, particularly to women and elderly passers-by, in city and town centres; welcomes the statements by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on this subject; welcomes the existence of laws and bye-laws to curb this nuisance; neverthess notes that the spring weather produces beggars and public drinkers, in, for example Castle Green, Taunton, even before the first cuckoo is heard; therefore calls on local authorities and police forces to use every opportunity given by the law to curb this nuisance, as public opinion massively demands; urges the Home Office speedily to resolve any practical difficulties encountered in enforcing such laws and bye-laws; and calls on the political parties in their Election Addresses to give attention both to this problem and, while welcoming progress under the Rough Sleepers Initiative, to the related problems of assisting people with drug and alcohol dependency problems, and people who, without any family to turn to, are genuinely homeless.

This motion has been signed by a total of 2 MPs.