HC Deb 14 November 1973 vol 864 cc480-2
2. Mr. Bidwell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the working of the Caravan Sites Act 1960 and the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

Mr. Graham Page

There is room for improvement in the working of the Acts, and my right hon. and learned Friend and I, in co-operation with local authorities, are continuously striving to implement the Acts effectively.

Mr. Bidwell

I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that complaints have been coming into the headquarters of my union—the Transport and General Workers' Union—from some of its old members on sites such as these? The complaints appear to relate to sites privately owned although licensed by local authorities. The complaints contain stories of harassment and, in one case, of caravan dwellers being told that they could have visitors for only two weeks of the year. As these people are not protected by any rent control or other control such as that which is available to ordinary householders, will the Minister undertake to look at that aspect of these complaints?

Mr. Page

Caravan dwellers have the benefit of the law. It is an offence to harass a caravan dweller on a site which requires a licence. Any order for possession of a caravan can be suspended by the courts for a period of one year. Rented caravans have the benefit of the furnished letting part of the Rent Acts.

Mr. Goodhew

Will my right hon. Friend take powers to designate parts of counties as areas under the 1968 Act? At present, wherever authorised sites are placed other caravan dwellers swarm into the area, with the result that there is a great discouragement upon the counties to proceed with further caravan sites within the whole country?

Mr. Page

My hon. Friend is right. I have had strong representations that we should designate part of a county. This matter is still under consideration. It may need legislation to bring it into effect.

Mr. Oakes

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on holiday sites in particular there are shameless abuses of these two Acts? There is complete neglect of the sites and ignoring of the regulations in many cases. This militates greatly against foreign visitors coming here with touring vans. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware also that many site operators, with impunity, increased site rents at the time of the operation of phase 2 and phase 3 of the counter-inflation policy and that they harass people on holiday sites by insisting that they buy a van at an inflated price from the site owner in many instances? Will the Minister look into all this?

Finally, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the problem of the sufficiency of caravan sites for touring vans? More and more vans are being left on lay-bys and along the hedges at a time when an increasing number of caravans is being produced and, if anything, fewer sites are in existence to take them.

Mr. Page

Local authorities can impose conditions on caravan sites in granting licences for them and, in doing so, must follow the model which has been laid down.

I repeat that caravan dwellers have the benefit of the law that harassment is an offence, and they have a certain security of tenure. As to rents, they have the benefit of the furnished letting provisions of the Rent Acts. The question of sufficiency of sites is for local planning authorities to consider when they have applications made for sites.

17. Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce comprehensive legislation dealing with caravan sites and mobile home residents.

The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. Paul Channon)

As my hon. Friend will know from her recent discussions on this topic, there are great practical difficulties in legislating in this field, and at present the Government have no plans for legislation on this subject.

Mrs. Oppenheim

Is my hon. Friend aware that mobile home residents have no effective security of tenure and no legal protection against the imposition of conditions and a number of practices which would be unacceptable in any other context? Does he agree that we have an obligation at least to afford to mobile home residents the security and protection that is afforded to all other types of dwellings?

Mr. Channon

My hon. Friend will know that some of the practices that concern her and many other hon. Members, as shown by an answer to an earlier question today, can be referred to the Director General of Fair Trading. I am anxious that nothing should be done which would cause the supply of places on caravan sites rapidly to dry up. It is extremely difficult to devise legislation that would have the effect that my hon. Friend has in mind. However, I shall be glad to consider any further representations from her on this topic.

Mr. John

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that ground rent increases of 60 per cent. in 18 months, which have been imposed upon mobile home occupiers in my constituency, are an absolute disgrace. Does he further realise that his Department's circular on white land has discouraged the use of further land for mobile home residents? Is it not high time that the Government introduced control over increases in rent for mobile home residents?

Mr. Channon

I do not think that the circular discouraged the use of mobile homes. I shall consider the point that the hon. Gentleman has in mind. I believe that the right kind of mobile home in the right place can frequently make a useful contribution. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will send me details of the cases that he has in mind.