Minutes

2019/2: Enforcement against Rough Sleepers (Supplementary), Formal Council Questions and Responses - Monday, 4th March, 2019

Items
No. Item

1.

Question to the Cabinet Member for Licensing and Regulation : 2019/2 Enforcement against Rough Sleepers (Supplementary)

Minutes:

Councillor Chris Evans asked:

 

Original question:

Has any enforcement been carried out against rough sleepers in the city centre using the PSPO powers - has introduced by your administration.

 

How many people have been enforced against, how many fines have been collected and is your administration pursuing any non-payment of fines through the courts?

 

If you are, or intend to, do you think its morally right for your administration to criminalise the most venerable and needy in our communities?  

 

Can you further provide me with the details of any cases going through the courts – name/d.o.b/offence.

 

Supplementary question:

 

Dear, cabinet member, thank you for the reply, allow me to rephrase the question:

 

Has any enforcement been carried out against people for allegedly ‘aggressive begging’ or, for begging within ’10 metres of cashpoints’ in the city centre using the PSPO powers - has introduced by your administration.

 

How many people have been enforced against, how many fines have been collected and is your administration pursuing any non-payment of fines through the courts?

 

If you are, or intend to, do you think its morally right for your administration to criminalise the

most venerable and needy in our communities?

 

Can you further provide me with the details of any cases going through the courts –

name/d.o.b/offence.

 

 

Councillor Ray Truman responded:

 

Original answer:

The City Centre PSPO does not contain any prohibition or restriction on rough sleeping, only aggressive forms of begging, specifically within 10 metres of cashpoint machines.

 

Therefore, no such enforcement action has ever been carried out.

 

 

Supplementary answer:

 

Enforcement of the PSPO is a matter for the Police. The Council has not issued any fixed penalty notices for aggressive begging or begging within 10 metres of cashpoints and no court enforcement proceedings have been taken.

The purpose of the controls was to enable the Police to stop this type of antisocial behaviour, and fixed penalty notices would only be issued as a last resort.