§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the caravan sites provided for gipsies in England and Wales as at 30th June, 1969, giving, in each case, the name of the local authority and the number of pitches on the site; and if, in addition, he will give details of the sites for which loan sanction has been granted, but which are not yet in operation.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonFollowing is a list of caravan sites for gipsies provided by local authorities in England and Wales as at 30th June, 1969, and the number of pitches on each site:
ENGLAND County Local Authority Pitches Berkshire Bradfield RD 14 Bradfield RD Wantage RD 3 Buckingham Eton RD 31 Greater London Bromley LB 12 Greater London Havering LB 27 Greater London Redbridge LB 16 Greater London Hillingdon LB 15 Hampshire Andover B 6 Hampshire Hartley Wintney RD 15 Hampshire Ringwood and Fordingbridge 5 Hertford Bushey UD 27 Hertford Hertford RD 20 Hertford Hemel Hempstead B 6 Kent Maidstone RD 12 Kent Mailing RD 12 Kent Hollingbourne RD 12 Kent Sevenoaks RD 12 Kent Strood RD 12 Lincoln (Lindsey) Spilsby RD 15 Surrey Godstone RD 50 Surrey Guildford RD 10 Sussex (East) Cuckfield RD 7 Sussex (East) Hailsham RD 3 Sussex (East) Hailsham RD 3 Worcester Bromsgrove RD 12 Total—25 sites 357 pitches
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WALES Carmarthen Llanelli B 24 Monmouthshire Nantyglo and Blaina UD 15 Total—2 sites 39 pitches Following is a list of sites for which loan sanction has been given but which have not yet been opened.
ENGLAND Pitches Lincoln (Kesteven) Grantham B 16 Cornwall Camborne—Redruth UD 20 Gloucestershire East Dean RD 6 Kent Dartford RD 12 Other sites may be in preparation for which no loan sanction has been sought e.g. it is known that Leeds County Borough will open a site with 22 pitches on 15th July, 1969.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many caravan pitches for gipsies have been provided by local authorities in England and Wales as at 30th June; how this compares with the equivalent figure for 1968; what percentage of the gipsy population he estimates is accommodated on these pitches; and whether he is satisfied with this rate of progress.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThere were 396 pitches at 30th June, 1969, compared with 334 at 30th June, 1968. These will accommodate about 10 per cent. of gipsy families. I do not yet regard the rate of progress as satisfactory.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has considered the representations put to him by the hon. Member for Orpington on the cost of implementing Part II of the Caravan Sites Act; and if he will now give a revised estimate, in the light of figures supplied to him by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe hon. Member will now have received a letter about this from my noble Friend, the Joint Parliamentary Secretary. I am afraid that we were not able to draw any conclusions from his representations.