HC Deb 14 February 1956 vol 548 cc239-40W
55. Mr. Awbery

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the estimated gypsy population of the country; and how many local authorities have gypsy problems to deal with.

59. Mr. Gower

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the estimated numbers of gypsies in England and Wales, respectively; what evidence he has of cases where gypsies have been deprived of their traditional camping sites; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sandys

The statistics asked for are not available. Sites used by gypsies are occasionally cleared in the interests of public health or because the site is needed for building. Where this happens, the authority concerned will normally satisfy themselves that those displaced have somewhere else to go to.

Mr. Callaghan

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the result of the conference called by his Department to discuss the future of the gypsies at Cogan, Penarth; and if they can look forward to a settled habitation in the near future.

Mr. Sandys

It was agreed that representatives of certain of the Councils represented should ask their Councils to consider the possibility of providing sites on which the groups of gypsies under discussion might settle.