HC Deb 28 April 1978 vol 948 cc724-5W
Mr. George Gardiner

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment is it his policy to allow county councils to purchase private land in order to fulfil their obligations to provide gipsy camp sites.

Mr. Marks

The duty of county councils is defined as being to determine what sites are to be provided and to acquire or appropriate the necessary land. Whether they appropriate land in their own ownership or acquire land belonging to someone else is a matter for them and depends on where the most suitable site can be found.