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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to sections 103 and 104 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a (a) duty to meet assessed needs and (b) failure to comply requirement on local authorities.

National planning policy is already clear that local planning authorities should use a robust evidence base to establish the accommodation needs of travellers; set pitch targets for gypsies and travellers; and identify a supply of specific, deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years' worth of sites against these targets. This includes setting clear policy consequences for local planning authorities that cannot demonstrate an up to date five-year supply of sites.

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including proposals relating to traveller sites. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.