To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the preparations he has taken to ensure full and effective co-ordination by police forces in the west of England to deal with possible breaches of the law, trespass and blocking of the highway by new age travellers in the summer months.

These are operational matters for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers has set up a national intelligence-gathering network on the activities of travellers with co-ordinating centres in the Wiltshire constabulary and Cumbria constabulary. Forces have also reviewed their contingency plans for dealing with the problems caused by new age travellers. These have proved effective so far this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure, in conjunction with the police, that convoys of new age travellers do not block the public highway.

Enforcement of road traffic and highways legislation is an operational matter for the police.