§ Mr. Loveridgeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether the assurance given in April 1972 to the London Borough of Havering that the area would be designated under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 remains in being;
(2) if he will give a specific date on which he will designate the area of the London Borough of Havering under the Caravan Sites Act 1968;
(3) if he is aware of the inconvenience caused to residents in the Hornchurch constituency by the failure to designate the area of the London Borough of Havering under the Caravan Sites Act 1968; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. Graham PageThe Department is in correspondence with Havering London Borough Council about its application for designation under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 which my right hon. and learned Friend is considering together with applications from four neighbouring London borough councils. A decision will be made as soon as practicable.
390WMy right hon. and learned Friend is aware of the problem caused by unauthorised gipsy encampments. The solution lies in the provision of sufficient properly managed and equipped sites throughout the country, and the Department will be holding regional conferences with local authorities in the next few months in order to encourage early action to this end.