Home Office written question – answered at on 11 June 2026.
David Simmonds
Opposition Whip (Commons), Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve co-ordination between local authorities and the police in relation to (a) unauthorised traveller encampments and (b) unauthorised traveller development.
Sarah Jones
The Minister of State, Home Department
The Government expects police and local planning authorities to work proactively and collaboratively to respond to unauthorised encampments and unauthorised developments. Decisions on operational coordination and enforcement are a matter for the police and local authorities, who are best placed to determine the most appropriate response.
Home Office statutory guidance on unauthorised encampments encourages police forces to work closely with local authorities when considering enforcement powers.
The Home Office continues to engage with policing partners and other government departments on matters related to unauthorised encampments.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
