Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve coordination between local authorities and the police in relation to (a) unauthorised traveller encampments and (b) unauthorised traveller development.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the potential implications for national policy of unauthorised traveller development taking place on weekends, including bank holiday weekends, when local authority planning departments are closed.

The government expects local planning authorities to work proactively and collaboratively with other agencies to respond to unauthorised encampments and development.