Overview Part 3 – Parliament Square Garden and Surrounding Area Section 143: Prohibited activities in controlled area of Parliament Square
379.Subsection (1) gives a constable or authorised officer the power to direct a person to stop doing, or not to start doing, a prohibited activity which he reasonably believes a person is doing, or is about to do, in the controlled area.
380.Subsection (2) (a) to (e) sets out the prohibited activities in relation to the controlled area as follows:
381.Subsection (3) sets out express exceptions so that an activity is not a prohibited activity if it is done for emergency services purposes or done by or on behalf of a relevant authority (meaning a Minister of the Crown or a government department, the Greater London Authority or Westminster City Council); or where the Greater London Authority or Westminster City Council authorise a person to operate amplified noise equipment.
382.This definition of a prohibited activity applies to the entire Part. Therefore any time that the use of amplified noise equipment has been authorised, it is not a prohibited activity.
383.Subsections (4), (5) and (7) define “amplified noise equipment”, “relevant authority” and “sleeping equipment”.
384.Subsection (6) makes it clear that tents or other structures erected in the controlled area before these provisions come into force, or sleeping equipment placed in the controlled area before these provisions come into force, are covered by these provisions.
385.Subsection (8) sets out the offence and penalty for a person who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a direction.