§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total number of places available on all the authorised sites provided for gipsies and other travellers; and what is his estimate of the number still required to provide at least one place for each family;
(2) what is the estimated number of gipsies and other travellers;
(3) if he will list those authorities which have now provided sites for gipsies in accordance with the objectives of the legislation on this issue.
§ Mr. MonroIt is estimated that there are about 8,000 to 9,000 families—50,000 travellers in total—in England and Wales. The half-yearly count of caravans in England on 17 January 1979, indicated that 4,182 caravans were accommodated on authorised private and local authority476W sites and that about the same number were still on unauthorised encampments.