Gypsies, Travellers and Roma: Racism and Discrimination Debate

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Department: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

Gypsies, Travellers and Roma: Racism and Discrimination

Baroness Young of Old Scone Excerpts
Thursday 25th March 2021

(3 years, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Greenhalgh Portrait Lord Greenhalgh (Con)
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I wrote to local authorities emphasising the need to take a negotiated, stopping-model approach, which has been taken up by a number of local authorities during the pandemic. I commit that the cross-departmental strategy will be forthcoming. Obviously the focus has been on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Baroness Young of Old Scone Portrait Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab) [V]
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What note are Her Majesty’s Government taking, in respect of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, of the fact that over 75% of police respondents to the Home Office consultation did not support the proposed new criminal offence of trespass with intent to reside?

Lord Greenhalgh Portrait Lord Greenhalgh (Con)
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I note the points around that consultation, but 66% of local authorities that responded to the 2019 consultation were in favour of introducing a new criminal offence for those who reside on unauthorised encampments, and 94% supported one or more of the proposed amendments in the Bill under consideration.