Downing Street Says » Travellers

Asked why Yvette Cooper was talking about gypsies and travellers in her speech, the PMOS said she would be putting forward what we believed the core of the problem was. It was that there was not a sufficient number of legal sites, therefore the core of the problem was not about having new powers to deal with illegals. We had already developed the Temporary Stop notices that allowed people to stop a camp. The core issue was the number of legal sites. The PMOS said if illegals were moved on, then they had to have somewhere to go.

Asked if, in general, it was fair that laws were applied differently to travellers than those with homes, the PMOS said we were not in favour of that at all. The laws of the land applied to everyone equally. What needed to be recognised, however, was that there had been Temporary Stop notices introduced, and non compliance with those notices meant that a court injunction could be taken out. Failure to comply with a court injunction was a criminal offence that could possibly result in prison. The PMOS said that there was the ability to use the law.

Put to the PMOS that the ODPM’S website showed that the advice to police was that when the cases eventually went to court, the Human Rights Act came into play, and the travellers used the Act to evade any sanctions, the PMOS replied that the law would be applied. In terms of the Human Rights Act, even if it was revised or abolished, there was still the European Convention since consider, as appeals could still go through to Strasbourg. The PMOS asked whether the journalist was suggesting that we left the European Convention, that would leave Britain in an anomalous position in terms of the international respect for law. The key thing was that there was the ability to use he law, and it should be used. Equally, behind that, legal sites had to be provided, as otherwise the problem was only being moved from one place to another.

Asked if the Government would be prepared to drop the incitement for religious hatred, given the pressure to get the legislation through, the PMOS said he thought the question was hypothetical, so he would not answer it.

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» Monday, March 21, 2005

Travellers

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