HC Deb 18 March 1999 vol 327 cc732-3W
Mr. Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if his Department, in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence, will carry out an audit of sites within the ownership of the Crown which could be made available for the temporary encampment of travellers over the period of Christmas 1999 and the millennium celebrations; [77478]

(2) how many authorised sites for travellers exist within England and Wales large enough to accommodate more than 150 caravans and several hundred people over the period of Christmas 1999 and the millennium celebrations; [77477]

(3) what arrangements are in hand within his Department, the Home Office and the Welsh Office jointly to identify sites which could offer temporary provision for large gatherings of travellers over the period of Christmas 1999 and the millennium celebrations; [77476]

(4) what arrangements his Department and the Welsh Office have made to use (a) the National Gypsy Council and (b) other bodies to ensure that travelling families are made aware of facilities that the Government propose to make available to travellers over the period of Christmas 1999 and the millennium celebrations. [77475]

Mr. Raynsford

There are over 300 authorised local authority Gypsy caravan sites in England and Wales although we know of none which would accommodate more than 150 caravans. My Department does not hold data on the capacity of privately owned Gypsy caravan sites. The Government have no plans to make Crown land available specifically for Gypsies and Travellers proposing to celebrate the millennium.

My Department and the Home Office have recently published joint good practice advice for local authorities and the police for managing unauthorised camping by travellers generally. The good practice was developed with the assistance of a number of groups representing Gypsy/Traveller interests, including the National Gypsy Council.

We want local authorities and the police to develop joint protocols to ensure proper and sensitive management of traveller encampments, including effective handling of any problems of crime and disorder which may arise particularly with large encampments. As part of this exercise, local authorities should be identifying acceptable stopping places for travellers.

The Home Office are also undertaking a series of visits to local authorities to ensure their preparedness to deliver emergency planning responsibilities over the period of the millennium celebrations. Areas under consideration include the management of serious public disorder resulting from large gatherings of people, irrespective of whether Travellers are involved or not.