Vol. 394 No. 8
323 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on the conditions in which travellers are forced to live, as underlined again by the tragic death of two young children during the month of December, 1989; and the policy action he plans at national level to ensure that a reasonable standard of accommodation is available for travellers throughout the country.
Responsibility for the provision of accommodation for travellers whether by standard housing, group housing or residential caravan parks rests with local authorities. My role has been, and will continue to be, to encourage local authorities in the provision of such accommodation to approved standards and to ensure that the necessary capital finance is available for this purpose.
Capital, amounting to £3 million, will be available in 1990 for the provision by local authorities of appropriate accommodation for travellers. I have also provided £1 million for recoupment to local authorities and certain voluntary bodies of 90 per cent of the salary and associated expenses of social workers engaged by them in connection with the accommodation of travellers and for certain other recoupments of miscellaneous expenditure incurred by such authorities and bodies.
