Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill) (Lab)
I do not want to detain the House for too long, but I rise to present a petition relating to the conduct of travelling communities in my constituency that, unfortunately, caused great damage over the course of this year. I want to put on the record my thanks to my colleagues, Councillors Ian Ward, Marje Bridle and John Cotton for how they handled the situation.
The terms of the petition, from constituents in the Shard End ward in my constituency, are self-explanatory. It states:
The petition of constituents of Hodge Hill,
Declares that we are blighted by the disruption of travelling communities repeatedly moving onto public green space and causing significant damage.
The petitioners therefore urge the House of Commons to change the law to allow instant eviction, rather than waiting the 48 hours now required by law.
And the petitioners remain, etc.
[P002062]