Gypsies and Travellers (Local Communities) Debate

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Gypsies and Travellers (Local Communities)

Julian Sturdy Excerpts
Wednesday 10th June 2015

(8 years, 11 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Philip Hollobone Portrait Mr Hollobone
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right and he has demonstrated with those comments how he so ably represents his constituents in Devon, because he has put his finger right on it. Indeed, we have evidence from the 2011 census, which tells us that three quarters of Gypsies and Travellers live in permanent houses, bungalows or flats; only one quarter live in caravans or mobile homes.

Julian Sturdy Portrait Julian Sturdy (York Outer) (Con)
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As always, my hon. Friend is making a very powerful argument. My local authority of York proposed two new Traveller sites in my constituency and is he not surprised that when it was calculating the need for those sites, it counted Travellers in bricks and mortar—Travellers who are adequately housed—as in desperate need? That contributed to the requirement, as the authority calls it, for two new Traveller sites.