, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Tim.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Who would like to—? Daniel.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Yes, although, of course, some sites have been in existence for quite some time and some families have lived on those sites for decades, and I think they feel that their needs aren't always well understood and met, even though they're in one place and have…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Naomi, would you like to respond to that?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay, thank you, Naomi. We move on then to Jayne Bryant and I know we've already touched on—. Oh sorry, Carolyn Thomas wanted to come in first. Carolyn.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. Thanks, Joel. Just in terms of the Act, and existing sites, we have heard concerns that Gypsy Travellers may be desperate to avoid—and I'm sure they would be—the confiscation of their homes and vehicles that are used for their livelihood and so on. And…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay, Sam. Joel James.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. Thank you very much, Daniel. We'll move on to Sam Rowlands.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. And finally from me, before we move on to other committee members, the Welsh Government's review of funding for sites—is there anything in particular that local authorities would like to see emerge from that process?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. Daniel.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. And Tim, you mentioned earlier the issue of, or the difficulties in, achieving co-ordination between local authorities and that they may be at different stages of the LDP process and so on. Do you see the corporate joint committees as offering much…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay. Before we go on, just a few questions from me. One is that I think many of us will be familiar with existing sites that are not at all appropriate in many ways—they might be cheek by jowl with very busy roads, no pavements outside, high levels of air…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
And you might be able to get back to us and clarify that, Naomi? Yes. Okay. Diolch yn fawr. Mabon.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Just before Mabon continues with his questioning, in terms of transit sites, our understanding as a committee from previous evidence and data we've gathered is that there are no transit sites in Wales. There might be transit provision within other sites, but…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay, Daniel. Thank you very much. We'll move on, then, to Mabon. Mabon.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Daniel, is part of this, then, a wish to make sure that sites are well connected in terms of provision of local schools, local healthcare, public transport, which sort of suggests a more urban setting? And lots of the community would rather be, as you say…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Could I ask you, Daniel, or one of your colleagues, to say a little bit more about the mismatch you've identified between Welsh Government guidance and criteria relating to site provision, and where Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families actually want to live?…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Is it a two-year period because funding is being provided for that period, or—?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Daniel, did you say two years for that training?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Okay, Tim. I don't know whether Naomi or Daniel have anything to add at this stage. No. Carolyn.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Are there many examples, Tim, that you're aware of where planning permission has successfully been sought, and then land purchased subsequently?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
I think Carolyn wants to come back in, but just in terms of those private sites, we've heard quite a lot of evidence already that there is quite a number of private sites that have actually been purchased by Gypsy, Roma, Traveller people, and they very often…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
There we are, then. Who would like to begin? Tim.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: evidence session 4
Welcome back, everyone, to this meeting of the Local Government and Housing Committee. I'm John Griffiths, Chair of the committee, but I'm very pleased that my colleague Carolyn Thomas was able to stand in for me earlier and chair the earlier sessions of this…
, Plenary
Debate on the Report of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform—Reforming our Senedd: A stronger voice for the people of Wales
There is further progress to be made, Andrew, but, come on, if you look at the diversity on the Labour benches now and throughout the history of devolution and compare it to your benches now and before, there's absolutely no comparison. [Interruption.]…
