Caravan Sites (Hansard, 11 May 1965)

§ 15. Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce amending legislation to give protection to families living on permanent caravan sites.

§ Mr. MacColl
My right hon. Friend is considering this problem and possible remedies. But there is not likely to be early legislation.

§ Mrs. Short
Does my hon. Friend realise that many hundreds of families in this country live in caravans because of the housing shortage and they appear to be the only section of the community denied the protection of the Rent Bill which is now going through Committee? Is he aware that these people have to pay large rents and large pull-on fees, and that site owners can lay down any kind of condition which they themselves wish, the local authorities having no control over them? Will my hon. Friend treat this matter with considerable urgency and see whether he can introduce amending legislation as soon as possible?

§ Mr. MacColl
I agree that what my hon. Friend says is correct, and I think that there is a great deal of abuse in the renting of caravans. The difficulty is that they are not rentings of caravans which could come within the Rent Bill. It is a different problem which has to be looked at in the light of other legislation.

§ Mr. Costain
In considering this matter, will the Parliamentary Secretary bear in mind that caravan sites are often let for short periods at seaside resorts during the holiday season, and will he see that nothing is done to stop this practice being continued?

§ Mrs. Short
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My Question refers to permanent caravan sites.

§ Mr. Speaker
The sites may be permanent even if they are by the sea. I do not know.

§ Mr. Murray
Is my hon. Friend aware that many caravan site dwellers suffer oppressive terms from site owners, and could he introduce legislation such as the Protection from Eviction Act to protect people living in these circumstances?

§ Mr. MacColl
I should be glad to receive any suggestion from any hon. Members about the exact way to do this. One of our difficulties, as is shown this afternoon, is that we are undertaking a good deal of legislative work and there are limits even to what my right hon. Friend can persuade his colleagues to give us in the way of Parliamentary time.

§ Sir D. Walker-Smith
Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that the existing law on caravan sites is already extremely complicated and has given rise to a great deal of litigation and difficulty of construction in the courts? Will he agree, therefore, that amending legislation would impose a considerable burden on the Parliamentary draftsmen which they could reasonably be expected to meet only if they were excused some other labours of a more controversial nature, perhaps, on the Steel Bill?

§ Mr. MacColl
I do not quarrel with the right hon. and learned Gentleman on the subject of the bad drafting of the last caravan sites Act which, apparently, led to the Chertsey decision, which many people much regret. As regards the strain on the draftsmen, any Government who are a progressive, driving and vigorous Government have difficulty in getting all their work done quickly.