A quick mention of a short debate which took place in the House of Lords yesterday on gypsies and travellers. Baroness Whitaker asked the government why they have decided not to extend security of tenure on gypsy and traveller sites to that available to other caravan dwellers. She also criticised the government for not prioritising the introduction of a statutory instrument on the matter ahead of the election. Elsewhere in the debate, the Lord Bishop of Ripon and Leeds argued that gypsies, travellers and roma are "almost invisible recipients of racial prejudice in this country", whilst Earl Cathcart accused the government of giving these communities "special treatment".

Subscribe to the Runnymede RSS feed