§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what estimate he has made of the impact on Cambridgeshire of migration by the Roma Community of Eastern Europe after enlargement of the EU on 1 May; [150822]
(2) what guidance he is issuing to local authorities regarding inward migration of the Roma community of Eastern Europe after enlargement of the EU on 1 May. [150823]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answers 26 January 2004]: I have been asked to reply.
It is not possible to produce a reliable estimate of numbers of people from the accession countries, whether or not they are members of the Roma community, who may travel to Cambridgeshire. There is no information available upon which such an estimate could be based. However guidance will be made available to local housing authorities regarding proposed changes to the rules on eligibility for benefits that they administer, and on eligibility for social housing and homelessness assistance, to which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary referred in his Statement to the House on EU Accession on 23 February.