- Conference
- 2021 Virtual Special Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 6 April 2021
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that while local authorities are required to address the housing and development needs of Gypsies and Travellers, they are under no legal duty to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers. This is true for councils across all four nations of the UK. In England, it has been the case since the Caravan Sites Act of 1968 was effectively repealed by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Conference further notes that as a result of this, local government workers specifically are forced into impossible positions, having to carry out work related to evictions. Members do not want to be in this position but they are left with little choice.
Conference also notes the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021, for England and Wales. The Bill introduces a new criminal offence of residing on land without consent in or with a vehicle and will change trespass from a civil to a criminal offence. Conference believes that the measures outlined in the Bill will further compound the inequalities experienced by Travellers, needlessly pushing people into the criminal justice system. The powers will disproportionally affect specific minority and ethnic communities and are likely to be in conflict with equality and human rights legislation.
Conference believes that any debate about the future of local government, and the local communities it serves, must include a joined-up approach to providing sites for Gypsies and Travellers, encompassing central government, national governments and local authorities. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how essential local government is in protecting and looking after our communities, and as the sector builds on this, traveller communities must receive equal treatment and consideration.
Conference affirms that discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers is racism. Gypsies and Travellers are subject to massive amounts of discrimination and prejudice. While the Equality Act 2010 (covering Great Britain) does not define race, case law has established that Gypsies and Travellers are covered by the protected characteristic of race for the Act.
Conference condemns all racism and is clear that we must campaign against discrimination and prejudice aimed at Gypsies and Travellers. Conference condemns the suggestion, made by the Home Secretary Priti Patel, that Travellers� homes could be confiscated if they are suspected of trespassing with �intent to reside�.
Conference notes the UNISON Scotland booklet �Make a Difference!�, designed to help members fulfil their obligations in relation to English Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, Scottish Gypsy Travellers, Roma and Welsh Kale. Conference welcomes the joint commitment made by UNISON Scotland, the STUC and others to tackling issues concerning Gypsy Travellers and in particular Scottish Gypsy Travellers, and Roma. Conference welcomes the Scottish Government�s 2019 action plan to �improve Gypsy/Traveller lives� and reduce inequality.
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to:
1)Work with the NEC to campaign for the restoration of the 1968 Act, or equivalent legislation to introduce a duty for relevant local authorities to provide economically, socially and environmentally sustainable sites for Travellers and Gypsies;
2)Provide guidance and support for members who are forced to carry out work connected with evictions;
3)Work with the NEC and the National Black Members� Committee to raise awareness of racism against Travellers and Gypsies and to campaign against it, drawing on the work previously done by UNISON Scotland;
4)Work with the NEC to campaign against the sections of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill relating to Travellers, and to explore with the Local Government Association and the Welsh Local Government Association a joint campaign for an approach to encampments that focuses on negotiations and provision of amenities rather than an enforcement approach;
5)Lobby councils that have responsibility for housing to seek to ensure that they address the housing and development needs of Gypsies and Travellers through Housing Needs Assessments and Local Plans;
6)Lobby central government on the need for a joined-up approach to the provision of housing and sites for Gypsies and Travellers.