§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in revising Circular 18/94 in relation to the Police and Criminal Justice Act 1994; and when he expects to make an announcement about a revised circular. [44942]
§ Mr. RaynsfordMy Department has no plans to revise Circular 18/94 "Gypsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping".
The reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing on 22 January 1998, Official Report, column 614, referred to a research project commissioned by my Department to consolidate existing good practice for local authorities in dealing with unauthorised camping. We will be consulting on a draft of the good practice shortly, with a view to launching it on 29 October at a conference organised by the National Association of Gypsy and Traveller Officers in Coventry. The good practice will be independent of, but complementary to, the advice in Circular 18/94.