§ 27. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that the proposal to provide 10 permanent caravan sites in Kent for gypsies and other travellers resulted from the survey requested by his Department which revealed the need for sites for 127 families, what steps have been taken so that these families can be identified as the camps become available, to avoid the danger that many of the traditional caravan dwellers will be left out and 228 the places taken by house dwellers who are, in substantial numbers, attracted to leaving behind their homes and debts to take up a caravan life.
§ Mr. CorfieldThe only practical method of dealing with this problem is careful selection of tenants for these caravan sites. This is a matter for the local authority concerned.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the Parliamentary Secretary agree that since the proposals for camping sites in Kent were made more caravans have gone into the county and that the situation is worse than ever? Is he not aware that at my site at Cobham I have had many applications from householders wishing to take up caravan life for various reasons? Since applicants for council houses are required to register, is it not essential that something similar should be introduced to ensure that genuine caravan families are not squeezed out and, if this is not done, how is the problem to be successfully tackled?
§ Mr. CorfieldI was not aware of any specific cases of caravaners having recently left houses in the way the hon. Gentleman suggests, but I am certain that local authorities, which have a lot of experience in assessing the local connection in cases of houses allocation, will be able to handle this matter; that is, in cases of allocating caravan sites.