I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 195 together.
The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides the legislative framework for addressing the accommodation needs of Travellers. Under that Act, each relevant local authority was required to prepare, adopt and implement Traveller accommodation programmes to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers. The first programmes covered the period 2000 to 2004. Further programmes will be put in place following the expiry of the current programmes.
The operation of the 1998 Act is currently under review. I requested the national Traveller accommodation consultative committee to advise me in relation to the review and the operation of the Act and to report on its findings to me. I expect this report to be finalised in the near future and I will consider any recommendations arising from that report.
While progress under the programmes adopted by all relevant housing authorities has been slower than originally expected, the accommodation provided under the programmes is addressing the requirements of Traveller families and, in particular, is reducing the number of Traveller families on unauthorised sites. As shown by the annual count of Traveller families undertaken by local authorities each year, 1,369 additional Traveller families were accommodated by, or with the assistance of, local authorities between 2000 and the end of 2003. This figure compares to an increase of 516 in the number of families accommodated in the previous four year period.
Prior to the adoption of the programmes, the number of Traveller families on unauthorised sites had been on the increase. Since the adoption of the programmes, this trend has been reversed and the number of families has reduced in each of the four years of the programmes to date. At the beginning of 2000, there were 1,207 Traveller families on unauthorised sites. This has since been reduced by 419 to 788 families on unauthorised sites at the end of 2003. While this is a welcome trend, it has not been sufficient to address the needs of all families on unauthorised sites. However, I look forward to a renewed impetus in the provision of accommodation for Travellers when the next programmes come into effect.