Anti-Harassment Bill

Part of Bill Presented – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 18 Rhagfyr 1973.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Jock Stallard Mr Jock Stallard , St Pancras North 12:00, 18 Rhagfyr 1973

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend the law against harassment of occupiers. The Bill is designed to combat the activities of "winkling" and harassment. I am grateful for the obvious interest being shown in this matter by the whole House.

On 23rd May last I introduced a similar Bill, and hon. Members will recall the arguments and examples I deployed then. The Bill was objected to then and on every subsequent Friday until the end of the Session by the Government Chief Whip and it failed to get a Second Reading. It failed in spite of the exposures in the News of the World, The Times, the Sunday Times and many other newspapers and magazines about the continuance and extension of the activities of "winklers".

Let me remind the House of some of those activities. In the News of the World of 30th September a landlord was reported as saying—