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John Baron MP calls on Prime Minister to help Dale Farm travellers leave peacefully

20 May 2009

MP says Government has moral responsibility to help avoid forced eviction.

John Baron MP has today challenged Prime Minister Gordon Brown at PMQs in the House of Commons to help travellers on the unauthorised site at Dale Farm to move on peacefully now that the legal process has been exhausted. The House of Lords this week gave Basildon Council a green light to enforce an eviction unless the 80 or so traveller families leave Dale Farm of their own accord.

John asked:

"The 80 traveller families on the unauthorised Dale Farm site in my constituency have now exhausted their planning and legal options following the Law Lords decision earlier this week. In order to avoid the misery of a forced eviction the travellers need to move on peacefully, but this would be greatly helped if the Government identified transit sites outside the District. Will the Prime Minister now work with his Secretary of State to try and resolve this very sad situation?"

In response, the Prime Minister said that site provision was a responsibility for the Council but he would ask Communities Secretary Hazel Blears to get back to John.

Afterwards, John said:

"The Government seems to be washing its hands of the issue despite the fact it was John Prescott who gave the travellers a two-year leave to remain in which time the number of caravans shot up."

"Only the Government can find unused public land of the size required for a transit site to enable the travellers to move on peacefully, avoiding the sadness of a forced eviction."

"I have written to Hazel Blears already but not received a reply. Hopefully now she will act."