§ Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, (1) what provision is being made to provide a site for the gypsies and other travellers required to move from Canford Heath, Poole, required for housing development, in view of hardship to men, women and children because of the impossibility of obtaining another site without the aid of the local council or the Dorset County Council;
(2) in view of the hardship experienced by gypsies and other travellers in recent years because of the absence of sites, what provision is now being made for the forthcoming winter by the Essex County Council to ensure that each family has a place to live within the law and where the necessary arrangements have been made for water and sanitation;
(3) what information has been obtained from county councils in England and Wales in reply to Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962, on the problem of gypsies and other travellers;
(4) what the results are of the survey made by the Cheshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(5) what progress has been made by the Berkshire County Council, in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(6) what the results are of the survey made by the Lancashire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(7) what progress has been made by the Cornwall County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(8) what the results are of the survey made by the Middlesex County Council 245W into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(9) what progress has been made by the Dorset County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(10) what the results are of the survey made by the Norfolk County Council in to the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(11) what progress has been made by the Durham County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(12) what the results are of the survey made by the Shropshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by circular No. 6/62;
(13) what progress has been made by the Gloucestershire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(14) what the results are of the survey made by the Staffordshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(15) what progress has been made by the Hertfordshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(16) what the results are of the survey made by the Cardiganshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(17) what progress has been made by the Lincolnshire (Kesteven) County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(18) what the results are of the survey made by the Pembrokeshire County 246W Council into the problems of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(19) what progress has been made by the Lincolnshire (Lindsey) County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(20) what progress has been made by the Somerset County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(21) what progress has been made by the West Suffolk County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(22) what progress has been made by the Surrey County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(23) what progress has been made by the West Sussex County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(24) what progress has been made by the Yorkshire (East Riding) County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(25) what progress has been made by the Yorkshire (West Riding) County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(26) what progress has been made by the Carmarthenshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
247W(27) what progress has been made by the Glamorganshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(28) what progress has been made by the Monmouthshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(29) what progress has been made by the Lincolnshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(30) what the results are of the survey made by the Derbyshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(31) what progress has been made by the Buckinghamshire County Council in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962;
(32) what the results are of the survey made by the Warwickshire County Council into the problem of gypsies and other travellers as suggested by Circular No. 6/62;
(33) what progress has been made by the Isle of Ely in consultation with district councils, in the provision of permanent sites for gypsies and other travellers in accordance with Circular No. 6/62 of 8th February, 1962.
§ Mr. CorfieldMy reply of 25th October, 1962, to previous Questions by the hon. Member summarised the information available at that date. Since then the councils of the following counties have stated that they have in their areas no problem of gypsies and other travellers, or that the problem is not so great as to require the provision of permanent sites
Cheshire, Derby, Isle of Ely, Norfolk, Salop, West Suffolk, West Sussex; Cardigan, Carmarthen, Monmouth.The county councils of Lincolnshire (Holland) and Warwick had already reported a similar position at the time of my last reply.
248WThe county councils which are now providing or still considering the provision of permanent sites, in consultation with the district councils concerned, are:
Berkshire, Buckingham, Cornwall, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Hertford, Kent, Lincoln (Kesteven), Lincoln (Lindsey), Somerset, Surrey, Worcester, Yorks. (East Riding), Yorks. (West Riding); Glamorgan, Pembroke.The county councils of Lancashire and Stafford are considering what action ought to be taken as a result of their surveys.
The County Council of Gloucester is conducting a fresh survey of the problem this winter.
The provision of a site for the people moved from Canford Heath, Poole, is a matter for the local authorities to settle; but my right hon. Friend has suggested to the Poole Borough Council that, in consultation with the Dorset County Council, they should try to find a site outside the borough, and he will be pursuing this with the authorities.
My right hon. Friend will be keeping in touch with local authorities as necessary.