Senedd Local Government and Housing Committee

Follow up on Inquiry into the provision of sites for Gypsies and Travellers
October 3 rd , 2024 Written evidence: Allison Hulmes (Welsh Gypsy) – Romani & Traveller Social Work Association

1. It is progress to have the policy lead for Race, Faith, Belief and Gypsy, Roma
   and Traveller Policy in place. This role encompasses a wide range of key
   areas, and the new lead will need to ensure that focus on the needs of
   Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and communities, is not diminished or
   diluted in such a wide portfolio. This new team has much work to do to
   establish, trust, deep knowledge of the priorities and in how to properly listen
   and hear the wide range of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma voices in Wales, as
   continuity of staffing in this key priority area has been absent.
2. We are pleased to see the role of Capital Sites Grants Officer to support
   local authorities in bid applications to the capital sites grant, along with
   revised grant guidance which includes the right to use the grant to buy land
   with greater scrutiny of the use of the grant, by community member
   beneficiaries. There remains however, the issue of community applicants
   missing the available funding windows this year due to the amount of work
   needed to be able to make a bid under the grant.
3. The significant issue of urgent repairs and refurbishment so eloquently
   presented by community members to the inquiry in 2022, have yet to be
   satisfactorily addressed. It is not acceptable and, in our view, inconsistent
   with human rights and the ambitions of an anti-racist Wales by 2023 that
   families, including children, elders and those with a disability, continue to live
   in unsuitable and unhealthy accommodation/sites. Whilst some of the work
   to repair refurbish accommodation/sites may fall under the grant, the
   timescales to achieve these is inconsistent with the needs/human rights of
   community members living under these conditions.
4. Whilst some useful initiatives to alleviate some of the disproportionate levels
   of fuel poverty experienced by community members living on Gypsy and
   Traveller sites, these are short term measures. A clear and fully costed plan
   is needed to direct a programme of improvements for all the accommodation
   across Wales.
5. How the Welsh Government will scrutinize and hold accountable local
   authorities for implementing the recommendations of the 2022 Senedd
   Inquiry, is yet to be revealed. Most actions within the Anti Racist Wales
   Action Plan (ARWAP) which the Welsh Government regards as the key
   driver for achieving the recommendations, have not been progressed.
6. A refresh of the ARWAP is being undertaken and officials held a meeting
   with various ‘stakeholders’ during the summer. These ‘stakeholder’
   consultations seem to have taken place without a transparent process to
   ensure that the ‘stakeholders’ are the right ones. How will the Welsh
   Government ensure that the new iteration is authentically informed and
   driven by Gypsy and Traveller voices and when will details about changes,
   timescales and resource allocation be made public?
7. It is a relief to see that a new advocacy and advice service has at last been
   commissioned. We are concerned however, that the wide-ranging ambitions
   the Minister has detailed in her recent letter, seems to be vested in one
   organization and is not supported by equally ambitious funding to enable this
   work. The Welsh Government must address the funding gap, and the range
   of organisations needed to progress the other actions in the ARWAP.
8. The Public Ombudsman, in its Public Interest report in 2024 found that
   Welsh Government has failed in its duties to properly monitor local
   authorities across Wales in the (timely) provision of suitable sites. This is the
   first time that such a report had been published about the failures of the
   Welsh Government. How does the Welsh Government intend to ensure that
   robust accountability measures (including enforcement/penlaties) are in
   place to prevent local authorities from breaching statutory duties under Part
   3 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014? Welsh Government fails to ensure local
   authorities are providing sufficient accommodation for Gypsies and
   Travellers – Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
9. There has been huge delay in the signing off, of the 2021 Gypsy, Traveller
   Accommodation Assessments (GTAA’s) and questions must be raised about
   their continued accuracy. There must be mechanisms to prevent such
   delays, and a review the suitability of those commissioned to undertake the
   GTAA’s to ensure they are meaningful and fit for purpose.
10. There has been no progress to date on the provision of transit sites meaning
    that families are still at risk of being criminalised under the Part 4 of the
    Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. A range of provision is
    clearly needed which could include ‘negotiated’ stopping places. This must
    be actioned by Welsh Government as a matter of urgency.
11. Welsh government needs to ensure that statutory guidance on managing
    unauthorized encampments in Wales, is welfare oriented and rights based.
    The Romany and Traveller Social Work Association has developed such
    guidance.

Allison Hulmes
26/09/2024