§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding problems created by gipsies/travellers during the last 12 months from(a) local authorities and (b) other sources other than those received as part of his consultative exercise.
§ Mr. BaldryMy Department has received some 670 letters from local authorities, hon. Members and members of the public during the past 12 months, excluding formal responses to the consultation paper issued by the Department in August last year.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the cost to local authorities of dealing with problems of gipsies/travellers in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
(2) what information he has of the number of attempts in the last 12 months to move gipsies/travellers; and whether any breakdown of the land ownership can be given in such cases.
§ Mr. BaldryThe information requested is not held centrally.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many gipsies/travellers there are currently in England; how many are on official sites; how many on unofficial sites on(a) private land and (b) public land; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryThe latest biannual count of gipsy caravans, collected from information provided by district and borough councils, found 12,810 gipsy caravans in England on 21 July 1993. A total of 8,408 caravans were on authorised sites, of which 2,976 were on private land and 5,432 on council land; 4,402 caravans were in unauthorised encampments, but the local authority returns do not distinguish whether the land was in public or private ownership.