A Big or Divided Society?

A group of academics, lawyers and campaigners has produced a report on the coalition government's policy on Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. The report, A Big or Divided Society is based on hearings which took place earlier this year in parliament where Gypsies, Travellers, service providers, legal and academic experts gave evidence on how current government policy is affecting Gypsies and Travellers

The hearings were organised around the themes of accommodation planning, enforcement, health, children, welfare and education issues related to accommodation and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Trust. They found that the removal of central government obligations for Traveller sites to be developed will see site construction come to a standstill, that local referenda could be used to block the construction of Traveller sites and that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are still being very badly affected by bad media coverage. The panel also heard how key health and education services for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers were being cut.
 
Lord Avebury, who has long campaigned for the rights for Gypsies and Travellers said: “Eric Pickles, the minister responsible for Gypsies and Travellers, has torn up the strategy that had been developed over the last six years of the previous government, riding roughshod over Liberal Democrat policy of keeping the target numbers of pitches.

“Now, it's up to every local authority to decide how much land it will allocate for Gypsy sites and, inevitably, most of them will scale down the numbers or eliminate them altogether as in the case of London. At the same time they are encouraging local authorities to evict Gypsies from unauthorised sites at enormous cost in bailiffs and police. “

Susan Alexander of the Travellers Aid Trust  which coordinated the research said “There have been sustained efforts by politicians and councils across the political spectrum to work in partnership with Gypsy Roma Traveller communities and improve their access to services, make them part of the community and reduce tensions. However, genuine fears are expressed in the report that the Localism Bill currently passing through parliament could mean greater local opposition to sites and services for this minority.”

For more information, see: www.travellersaidtrust.org/panel-review