§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the reluctance of some local authorities to provide the required number of pitches under the Caravan Sites Act, 1968, he will take steps to provide a whole or partial subsidy for this purpose for a period limited to the next one or two years.
§ Mr. Graham PageNo. But applications will be considered by my right hon. Friend for special additional allocations within the arrangements for controlling locally determined capital expenditure from authorities intending to provide sites for gipsy caravans this year and unable to do so from within the normal allocation because of other commitments.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, since local authority areas with below-average unemployment levels and a sizeable demand for unskilled labour can more easily absorb gipsy families, he will ensure that exemption from the responsibility to provide permanent sites should not be granted automatically to such authorities on the grounds that they have not been subject to any extensive gipsy residence in the past.
144W
§ Mr. Graham PageMy right hon. Friend takes into account all matters relevant to the number of gipsies residing in or resorting to the area in exercising his discretion in accordance with Section 6(2)(b) of the Caravan Sites Act, 1968, to exempt a county borough council from the duty to provide accommodation for gipsy caravans.