Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the (a) Social Housing Act 2023 and (b) Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 in relation to (i) the protection of and (ii) the provision of opportunities for recourse to action for residents living on local authority-owned Gypsy and Traveller sites that are in need of repair.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Responsibility for the provision, repairs and maintenance of traveller sites is with local authorities.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other Local Authorities designate an adequate number of authorised Gypsy and Traveller Sites.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Responsibility for the assessment of and provision for traveller sites is with local authorities.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Friends, Families and Travellers, Kicking the Can down the Road: the planning and provision of Gypsy and Traveller sites in England 1960–2023; and what steps, if any, they will take to implement its recommendations.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Department has not made an assessment of the report by Friends, Families and Travellers on the planning and provision of traveller sites in England that was published in November 2023. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make their own assessment of the need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan to identify sites to meet that need.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's guidance to local authorities on the requirements for the (a) number of pitches and (b) infrastructure within Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Plan policies, including those relating to gypsy and traveller provision, are tested at examination by an independently appointed Inspector before they can be adopted. The examination of the plan will consider whether adequate site provision has been made for gypsies and travellers based on assessed needs.

This Department does not make an assessment of the effectiveness of short stop sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community, whether such sites are transit sites or provided as part of negotiated stopping agreements with the local authority.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to assess the adequacy of the number of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers in local plans.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Plan policies, including those relating to gypsy and traveller provision, are tested at examination by an independently appointed Inspector before they can be adopted. The examination of the plan will consider whether adequate site provision has been made for gypsies and travellers based on assessed needs.

This Department does not make an assessment of the effectiveness of short stop sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community, whether such sites are transit sites or provided as part of negotiated stopping agreements with the local authority.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of short stop sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Plan policies, including those relating to gypsy and traveller provision, are tested at examination by an independently appointed Inspector before they can be adopted. The examination of the plan will consider whether adequate site provision has been made for gypsies and travellers based on assessed needs.

This Department does not make an assessment of the effectiveness of short stop sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community, whether such sites are transit sites or provided as part of negotiated stopping agreements with the local authority.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to amend the planning policy definition of Gypsies and Travellers in Planning Policy for Traveller Sites 2015; and whether he plans to revert to the definition used in Planning Policy for Traveller Sites 2012.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Secretary of State is carefully considering the policy contained in the Planning Policy Traveller Sites 2015 following the court judgment in Lisa Smith v SSLUHC [2022]

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure local authorities are meeting the accommodation needs of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Specific planning policies for traveller sites are set out in the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites document which should be read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites in England are within 50 metres of (1) A-roads, (2) motorways, (3) sewage stations, (4) waste recycling centres, (5) industrial estates, and (6) railway lines.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) does not hold data centrally on the location of authorised traveller sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that Local Planning Authorities, when developing their Local Plan, should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, as part of the Environment Act, all Local Authorities in England are required to assess air quality in their area.

The Government does not hold centrally information on complaints for statutory nuisances. Section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires Local Authorities and the Environment Agency to keep a public register about contaminated land in their respective areas.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites have given rise to complaints to local authorities about (1) environmental pollution and degradation, and (2) vermin infestation.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) does not hold data centrally on the location of authorised traveller sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that Local Planning Authorities, when developing their Local Plan, should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, as part of the Environment Act, all Local Authorities in England are required to assess air quality in their area.

The Government does not hold centrally information on complaints for statutory nuisances. Section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires Local Authorities and the Environment Agency to keep a public register about contaminated land in their respective areas.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many local authorities conduct regular pollution monitoring of (1) air, (2) noise, and (3) land, contamination on authorised Traveller sites.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) does not hold data centrally on the location of authorised traveller sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that Local Planning Authorities, when developing their Local Plan, should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, as part of the Environment Act, all Local Authorities in England are required to assess air quality in their area.

The Government does not hold centrally information on complaints for statutory nuisances. Section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires Local Authorities and the Environment Agency to keep a public register about contaminated land in their respective areas.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many authorised Traveller sites are on contaminated land.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) does not hold data centrally on the location of authorised traveller sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that Local Planning Authorities, when developing their Local Plan, should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, as part of the Environment Act, all Local Authorities in England are required to assess air quality in their area.

The Government does not hold centrally information on complaints for statutory nuisances. Section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires Local Authorities and the Environment Agency to keep a public register about contaminated land in their respective areas.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support local authorities to tackle unauthorised encampments established by travellers.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Local authorities and the police have a wide range of powers that enable them to work in partnership and take action against unauthorised encampments. Additional police powers to tackle trespassers who set up camp illegally on other people’s land or in local communities came into force on 28 June 2022.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour arising from traveller sites; and what powers local police forces hold to help tackle illegal encampments.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

This Government recognises the misery that unauthorised encampments can cause and that is why we have delivered on our manifesto commitment to give police the powers they need to tackle those people on unauthorised encampments who cause harm.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which received Royal Assent in April, we strengthened the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles and other property of those who set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress.

The measures also extend the powers of the police to direct trespassers to leave land.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle unauthorised encampments established by travellers.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

This Government recognises the misery that unauthorised encampments can cause and that is why we have delivered on our manifesto commitment to give police the powers they need to tackle those people on unauthorised encampments who cause harm.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which received Royal Assent in April, we strengthened the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles and other property of those who set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress.

The measures also extend the powers of the police to direct trespassers to leave land.