Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to take steps to (a) provide Gypsies and Travellers living on roadside encampments with support through Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding and (b) work with (i) Traveller Liaison Officers and (ii) other Local Authorities Officers to confirm the eligibility of those people for that scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
After stakeholder engagement sessions and research exercises, the government has been unable to establish a robust method for households in caravans not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud.
We recommend that these households should contact their local authority to apply for the Housing Support Fund and also visit the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be eligible to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of not including gypsies and travellers living in roadside camps from the Energy Bill Support Scheme on those people.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has been in contact with representatives of itinerant travellers to understand their concerns and seek to overcome barriers to accessing the EBSS Alternative Funding. We have been unable to establish a robust method for households in caravans not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud. We recommend that these households should contact their local authority to apply for the Housing Support Fund and also visit the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be eligible to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Energy Bills Support Scheme to gypsies and travellers living in roadside camps.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has been unable to establish a robust method for households in caravans not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud. However, we recommend that these households should contact their local authority to apply for the Housing Support Fund. We also recommend that they visit the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be eligible to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report by National Energy Action entitled Plugged In, published in July 2023, on the level of Government support for the energy costs for (a) Gypsy, (b) Traveller, (c) Roma and (d) other nomadic communities' households; and whether her Department is taking steps to ensure nomadic communities can access energy support schemes.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government will provide a £600 voucher to itinerant boat travellers who are registered with the Canal and River Trust as continuous cruisers and held a long-term licence for a minimum of one day while the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding was open. We have been unable to establish a robust method for households in caravans not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud. However, we recommend that these households visit the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view alternative support that may be available.