Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Dinenage Excerpts

Thursday 15th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stunell]

I am disappointed with that. What the Opposition have not appreciated is that my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley made the very fair point that far too much of the money is top-sliced and siphoned off, and does not produce the renewal that it is supposed to. That is what we are committed to putting right.

[Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)]

10. Whether he plans to bring forward proposals to facilitate local authorities in moving Travellers on from private and public property.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

15. If he will take steps to accelerate the process for local authorities to gain possession of public land upon which there are unauthorised Traveller encampments.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

The Government will ensure that, where local authorities have made appropriate provision for authorised sites in their area, reflecting genuine local need and historic demand, they will have stronger enforcement powers to deal with unauthorised encampments. We are reviewing how this can be achieved.

[Caroline Dinenage]

Under the last Government, illegal sites and caravans were increasingly tolerated, with councils deciding not to seek their removal. Will the Secretary of State please reassure me that Travellers will no longer be allowed to breach the planning rules that law-abiding home owners have to abide by?

[Mr Pickles]

We have to remember that a significant number of Gypsies and Travellers are themselves law-abiding citizens. What we want to see is fair play within our planning system. The overwhelming majority of Travellers abide by the rules, but we will ensure that those small minorities that do not are no longer encouraged to do so by the law.