Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) Hertfordshire County Council and (b) the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service on safety at Traveller sites in the context of the fire at Redbourn’s Ver Meadows Travellers site on 12 July 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government continues to be updated on the recovery plan following the incident via the Recovery Coordinating Group (RCG) which includes representatives from Hertfordshire County Council, St Albans District Council and the fire and rescue service.
An independent fire investigation, requested by Hertfordshire County Council, will be shared in due course, and we will carefully consider any findings.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 52625 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unauthorised traveller encampments on operational policing, in the context of the High Court judgement of May 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 the publication entitled Count of Traveller Caravans, January 2025: England, published on 25 June 2025, what steps she is taking to help tackle the increase of (a) unauthorised traveller development on land they own and (b) unauthorised traveller encampments and trespass on land they do not own.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Whilst the number of caravans on unauthorised sites did increase between the 2024 and 2025 counts, local authorities have been encouraged to report excess numbers on authorised sites as unauthorised so the reported increase may reflect improved data quality, rather than a genuine increase in the number of caravans on this site type.
More widely, the number of caravans on unauthorised encampments is a very small proportion of the overall number of caravans reported (1%) and subject to more fluctuation than other site types.
In relation to local planning authority enforcement powers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 46336 on 30 April 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the (a) applicants and (b) Community Law Partnership received legal aid in relation to the case that resulted in the High Court decision of [2024] EWHC 1137 (Admin).
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Whether or not an individual is in receipt of legal aid constitutes their personal data. Having regard to data protection legislation, it is not possible to disclose whether the Claimant in this matter received legal aid.
Legal representatives only receive legal aid funding to the extent that they represent a client in whose favour legal aid has been granted.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government keeps police powers under regular review to ensure they remain effective.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of powers held by local authorities to remove travellers from unauthorised encampments on public land.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 46336 on 30 April 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48442 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, whether he considered appealing the High Court judgment of May 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As with all judgements of this nature, we are reviewing the ruling in detail.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44484 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the ruling on local authorities.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is carefully considering the judgement issued by the High Court in May 2024, including the potential impact on local authorities.
Local authorities retain the powers they need to manage caravan sites and unauthorised encampments. If enforcement action is required, it would be a matter for the police as part of their operational decision making, working with local authorities.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department includes local authority (a) owned and (b) managed Gypsy and Traveller sites within its definition of social housing under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing, including local authorities, are required to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’).
The regulatory standards apply to social housing as defined by the Housing and Regeneration Act (2008). The Act defines low-cost rental accommodation as accommodation rented below market rate and made available to those whose needs may not be adequately served by the commercial market.
Socially rented residential homes on local authority owned or managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will be subject to the regulator’s consumer standards if they meet the definition of social housing under the Act.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether consumer standards set by the Regulator for Social Housing apply to socially rented residential pitches on local authority (a) owned and (b) managed Gypsy and Traveller sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing, including local authorities, are required to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’).
The regulatory standards apply to social housing as defined by the Housing and Regeneration Act (2008). The Act defines low-cost rental accommodation as accommodation rented below market rate and made available to those whose needs may not be adequately served by the commercial market.
Socially rented residential homes on local authority owned or managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will be subject to the regulator’s consumer standards if they meet the definition of social housing under the Act.