§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the average cost to local authorities of providing sites for gipsies.
§ Mr. MarksI regret that my right hon. Friend does not have this information. In his report published in April 1977, Mr. John Cripps commented that costs vary very widely according to the place, the services needed and the standards adopted. He found that a simply equipped site might cost only a few thousand pounds, a fully equipped site might cost 10 or 20 times as much.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to encourage local authorities which have either not provided any sites 16W for gipsy caravans under the Caravan Sites Act 1968, or, like Essex County Council, have not provided enough sites.
§ Mr. MarksMy right hon. Friend is continually urging local authorities to provide sites for the gipsies in their area. He hopes before long to be able to respond to the Cripps Report, published last year, which contains recommendations designed to improve site provision and to facilitate the Department's role of co-ordination and advice. My Department, with the Advisory Officer on Gipsy Encampments, is always willing to discuss with any authority the problems they may be encountering.