§ 7. Mr. Anthony D. Wright (Great Yarmouth)If he will make a statement on travellers and unauthorised encampments. [64160]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister(Mr. Tony McNulty)I fully appreciate the concerns of my hon. Friend and his constituents regarding unauthorised encampments over the last few years. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with other Government agencies to develop policies and initiatives on the management of unauthorised encampments by travellers. The Department is issuing new guidance jointly with the Home Office on managing unauthorised camping in the very near future.
§ Mr. WrightI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. The guidance will certainly be warmly welcomed by my constituents and, indeed, in the many villages in my 216 constituency, but may I ask for an assurance that he will consult those parish councils that are involved before he issues the guidance?
§ Mr. McNultyI do not think that we will be able to consult parish councils before the guidance is issued because it is imminent, but I assure my hon. Friend that we very much welcome and encourage the views of parish councils, along with a range of other stakeholders, because we want to get the whole issue of travellers and unauthorised encampments right.