via youtube.com
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Medical cannabis: Time to trial Discussion paper Greens MP John Kaye 29 November 2011
01 December 2011
Medical cannabis: Time to trial
Discussion paper Greens MP John Kaye 29 November 2011
The Greens are beginning a process to end 12 years of inaction that followed the 1999 NSW Drug Summit recommendation for a trial of medicinal cannabis.
In November 2011, Greens NSW MP and Health Services spokesperson John Kaye tabled a motion (see Appendix A) in the Upper House calling on the Minister for Health to establish a tightly controlled, carefully monitored one year trial of medically prescribed cannabis.
A trial is well past time given both the growing body of evidence of the therapeutic and palliative benefits of cannabis and changing attitudes in the medical profession and the health sciences research community.
The Greens believe that NSW should explore a compassionate regime to provide relief for those suffering from a range of illnesses without the risk of criminal sanctions. Decisions about the regulation of pharmacological drugs should be based purely on proven therapeutic and palliative effects, regardless of their connections or otherwise to illegal substances.
It is irrational and inhumane to deny many individuals the benefits of a medical cannabis treatment because of an unfounded fear that the palliative or therapeutic use of the product would promote or assist recreational drug use.
This paper outlines the proposed parameters for the trial and provides background on the medical research literature.
It is intended to move the motion in the Autumn 2012 session of the NSW parliament. The motion can be amended and the purpose of this paper is to promote discussion on this important issue and to encourage feedback to the office of John Kaye.
Suggestions for changes and feedback are therefore welcome. Please contact John Kaye's office at john.kaye@parliament.nsw.gov.au; mail c/o NSW Parliament, Macquarie St, Sydney 2000; or phone (02) 9230 2668.
The development of this report is indebted to the many individuals and groups who have campaigned for many years for a trial of medical cannabis. Many ideas have been borrowed from the 2011 PhD thesis1 of Dr Graham Irvine at Southern Cross University.
The Greens' Proposed Medical Cannabis Trial
The November 2011 motion calls on the NSW Minister for Health Jillian Skinner to establish a trial of medical cannabis of one year's duration. The trial scheme envisaged in the motion would be limited to:
. the administration of cannabis in tincture form;
. a limited, prescribed list of diagnoses; and
. patient participation based on a prescription from a General Practitioner or treating Specialist, subsequently submitted to NSW Health for approval.
The list of prescribed conditions are proposed to be:
. cancer,
. AIDS-related severe wasting,
. chronic pain,
. chronic nausea,
. vertigo,
. glaucoma,
. seizures,
. multiple sclerosis,
. muscle spasticity, and
. any other illness, condition or disorder for which the Minister for Health in consultation with the Pharmaceutical Services Branch (PSB) of the NSW Health Department is satisfied medical cannabis may form an appropriate part of palliative or therapeutic treatment.
Cannabis in tincture form consists of a liquid concentration of cannabis, where the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoids have been leached out into alcohol. Cannabis tincture is administered orally.
Medical cannabis in tincture form is the preferred option to resolve the concerns related to the significant negative health impacts associated with smoking raw cannabis and to provide superior control and reliability in drug delivery.
Administration in tincture form circumvents the negative side effects of smoking. Cannabis in tincture form has proved to have low uptake amongst recreational users because it lacks some of the effects obtainable from smoking cannabis.
By setting tightly controlled prerequisites for participation in the proposal trial, including prescription for a listed diagnosis approved by NSW Health, and by limiting the form of cannabis prescribed to tincture form, the proposed trial effectively eliminates the risk of stimulating the recreational market.
The design of this scheme is aimed at assisting people suffering chronic illness in NSW by making legally available a clinically proved therapeutic and palliative medical remedy. Unlike the approach taken in the United States where 'medical marijuana' has provided a backdoor route to de facto legalisation of recreational cannabis use, the proposed trial in NSW is limited in its scope and properly aimed at those people who could benefit from the administration of medical cannabis.
Background
'Medicinal cannabis', 'medical cannabis' or 'medical marijuana' refers to the use of the active ingredient of cannabis, THC, as a physician-prescribed palliative or therapeutic treatment.
Cannabis has twenty one chemically-related carbon alkaloids which are called cannabinoids, of which the most notable are delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Cannabinoids act as moderate analgesics with low toxicity and they have a potency several times that of codeine and have a longer duration in the body. 'Cannabinoids' also refer to pharmaceutical quality drugs that act in the same way in the body as cannabis substances. Two such drugs are nabilone, which is THC in a capsule form (available in the UK) and dronabinol which is synthetic THC (available in the US).
The increasing rate of research into medical cannabis and accompanying clinical trials being conducted across the developed world have already changed perceptions in the medical profession and are now driving momentum for law reform in Australian jurisdictions and abroad.
Medical Benefits: Therapeutic and Palliative
Cannabis has a long tradition of medical uses that appears to begin in India over 4000 years ago. Today, both the therapeutic and palliative benefits of cannabis are recognised amongst health professionals and medical practitioners.
Medical cannabis may be administered to treat symptoms including chronic pain, chronic nausea, muscle spasms, interlobular pressure inside the eye, loss of appetite and weight loss. Most commonly, medical cannabis is prescribed to treat these symptoms when they result from cancer (particularly after chemotherapy treatment), multiple sclerosis, HIV AIDS, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, motor neurons disease, ulcerative colitis and cerebral palsy.
Prescription of medical cannabis as a palliative treatment is most common in relation to HIV and all forms of cancer, and in particular to relieve pain associated with chemotherapy treatment.
The Medical Profession's Position
The Royal College of Physicians supports further studies
In 2005 the Royal College of Physicians commissioned a working party to investigate the benefits and risks of medical cannabis as a palliative and therapeutic treatment option.
The resulting report, Cannabis and cannabis-based medicines: Potential benefits and risks for health [1], found that there is scientific evidence to support further studies of the use of THC in multiple sclerosis and in the management of other forms of chronic pain. The report considered the pharmacological effect of cannabinoids (a number of natural and synthetic compounds), their efficacy in comparison with other medicines, the results of clinical trials, the safety of cannabis and possible links between cannabis and psychosis.
1 http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news-media ... ts-and-need-further-study
The American Medical Association affirmed benefits and called for further studies
In November 2009 the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to reverse its long-held position that marijuana be retained as an illicit Schedule I substance with no medical value. The Association adopted a report drafted by the AMA Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes [2], which affirmed the therapeutic benefits of marijuana and called for further research. The report noted that the results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.
2 http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/csaph/i09csaph3ft.pdf
The Australian Medical Association remains cautious but supports research
The Australian Medical Association remains more cautious in embracing the growing global shift towards recognising the therapeutic and palliative benefits of medical cannabis, however, has not ruled out endorsing a trial of medical cannabis in Australia.The Association considers cannabis may be of medical benefit in treating HIV and cancer-related wasting, and nausea and vomiting in people with cancer, including those undergoing chemotherapy treatment. However it believes that more research needs to be undertaken to determine the medical benefit of cannabis in treating neurological disorders including (but not limited to) multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease [3].
3 http://ama.com.au/node/2556
The Australian Medical Association supports research to examine whether cannabinoids provide any greater benefit than the newer antiemetics [4].
4 Drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea.
Aborted Medical Cannabis Trials in NSW
In 1999 the NSW Drugs Summit recommended a medical cannabis trial be conducted in NSW. Then Premier Bob Carr responded by convening a Working Party which reported in August 2000 on the uses of cannabis for medical purposes [5].
5 See http://www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/medici ... _cannabis_nsw/canrep1.pdf
In May 2003 the Carr government outlined its response to the report including the establishment of an Office of Medicinal Cannabis and a proposed four-year trial. The government failed to reveal details about how the trial would operate, pre-empting its failure to eventuate in practice. Since 2004 no progress has been made by the NSW Government towards advancing a medical cannabis trial in NSW.
Further Information
ABC's Catalyst: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s888110.htm
Cancer Council: http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=1778
Appendix A: The Greens Motion in the NSW Upper House
412. Dr Kaye to move---
1. That this House:(a) notes the increasing body of peer-reviewed scientific and medical research which substantiates the palliative and therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid drugs,(b) notes that the Carr Government's 1999 Drug Summit recommended a trial of medical cannabis which has not yet been implemented, and(c) calls the Minister for Health to establish a medical trial in New South Wales, including assessing and addressing any legislative and jurisdictional barriers to this trial.
2. That this House notes that the medical cannabis trial established by the Minister for Health would confirm to the following principles:
(a) any benefits or side effects identified,(b) any legal barriers encountered and how they were addressed, and(c) any barriers to the permanent establishment of a medical marijuana scheme in New South wales and how they may be addressed.
(Notice given 23 November 2011---expires Notice Paper No. 77)
Appendix B: NSW Greens Policy, Drugs and Harm Minimisation
39. Allow drugs to be regulated and prescribed for medicinal purposes based only on their therapeutic and palliative effects.
The discussion paper includes evidence on the therapeutic and palliative benefits of medicinal cannabis and outlines the parameters of how a trial could be undertaken in NSW.
We welcome your feedback and comments on this important issue.
Please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668 fax: (02) 9230 2586 mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye@parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
HEMP Embassy
The Greens are beginning a process to end 12 years of inaction that followed the 1999 NSW Drug Summit recommendation for a trial of medicinal cannabis.
In November 2011, Greens NSW MP and Health Services spokesperson John Kaye tabled a motion (see Appendix A) in the Upper House calling on the Minister for Health to establish a tightly controlled, carefully monitored one year trial of medically prescribed cannabis.
A trial is well past time given both the growing body of evidence of the therapeutic and palliative benefits of cannabis and changing attitudes in the medical profession and the health sciences research community.
The Greens believe that NSW should explore a compassionate regime to provide relief for those suffering from a range of illnesses without the risk of criminal sanctions. Decisions about the regulation of pharmacological drugs should be based purely on proven therapeutic and palliative effects, regardless of their connections or otherwise to illegal substances.
It is irrational and inhumane to deny many individuals the benefits of a medical cannabis treatment because of an unfounded fear that the palliative or therapeutic use of the product would promote or assist recreational drug use.
This paper outlines the proposed parameters for the trial and provides background on the medical research literature.
It is intended to move the motion in the Autumn 2012 session of the NSW parliament. The motion can be amended and the purpose of this paper is to promote discussion on this important issue and to encourage feedback to the office of John Kaye.
Suggestions for changes and feedback are therefore welcome. Please contact John Kaye's office at john.kaye@parliament.nsw.gov.au; mail c/o NSW Parliament, Macquarie St, Sydney 2000; or phone (02) 9230 2668.
The development of this report is indebted to the many individuals and groups who have campaigned for many years for a trial of medical cannabis. Many ideas have been borrowed from the 2011 PhD thesis1 of Dr Graham Irvine at Southern Cross University.
The Greens' Proposed Medical Cannabis Trial
The November 2011 motion calls on the NSW Minister for Health Jillian Skinner to establish a trial of medical cannabis of one year's duration. The trial scheme envisaged in the motion would be limited to:
. the administration of cannabis in tincture form;
. a limited, prescribed list of diagnoses; and
. patient participation based on a prescription from a General Practitioner or treating Specialist, subsequently submitted to NSW Health for approval.
The list of prescribed conditions are proposed to be:
. cancer,
. AIDS-related severe wasting,
. chronic pain,
. chronic nausea,
. vertigo,
. glaucoma,
. seizures,
. multiple sclerosis,
. muscle spasticity, and
. any other illness, condition or disorder for which the Minister for Health in consultation with the Pharmaceutical Services Branch (PSB) of the NSW Health Department is satisfied medical cannabis may form an appropriate part of palliative or therapeutic treatment.
Cannabis in tincture form consists of a liquid concentration of cannabis, where the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoids have been leached out into alcohol. Cannabis tincture is administered orally.
Medical cannabis in tincture form is the preferred option to resolve the concerns related to the significant negative health impacts associated with smoking raw cannabis and to provide superior control and reliability in drug delivery.
Administration in tincture form circumvents the negative side effects of smoking. Cannabis in tincture form has proved to have low uptake amongst recreational users because it lacks some of the effects obtainable from smoking cannabis.
By setting tightly controlled prerequisites for participation in the proposal trial, including prescription for a listed diagnosis approved by NSW Health, and by limiting the form of cannabis prescribed to tincture form, the proposed trial effectively eliminates the risk of stimulating the recreational market.
The design of this scheme is aimed at assisting people suffering chronic illness in NSW by making legally available a clinically proved therapeutic and palliative medical remedy. Unlike the approach taken in the United States where 'medical marijuana' has provided a backdoor route to de facto legalisation of recreational cannabis use, the proposed trial in NSW is limited in its scope and properly aimed at those people who could benefit from the administration of medical cannabis.
Background
'Medicinal cannabis', 'medical cannabis' or 'medical marijuana' refers to the use of the active ingredient of cannabis, THC, as a physician-prescribed palliative or therapeutic treatment.
Cannabis has twenty one chemically-related carbon alkaloids which are called cannabinoids, of which the most notable are delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Cannabinoids act as moderate analgesics with low toxicity and they have a potency several times that of codeine and have a longer duration in the body. 'Cannabinoids' also refer to pharmaceutical quality drugs that act in the same way in the body as cannabis substances. Two such drugs are nabilone, which is THC in a capsule form (available in the UK) and dronabinol which is synthetic THC (available in the US).
The increasing rate of research into medical cannabis and accompanying clinical trials being conducted across the developed world have already changed perceptions in the medical profession and are now driving momentum for law reform in Australian jurisdictions and abroad.
Medical Benefits: Therapeutic and Palliative
Medical cannabis may be administered to treat symptoms including chronic pain, chronic nausea, muscle spasms, interlobular pressure inside the eye, loss of appetite and weight loss. Most commonly, medical cannabis is prescribed to treat these symptoms when they result from cancer (particularly after chemotherapy treatment), multiple sclerosis, HIV AIDS, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, motor neurons disease, ulcerative colitis and cerebral palsy.
Prescription of medical cannabis as a palliative treatment is most common in relation to HIV and all forms of cancer, and in particular to relieve pain associated with chemotherapy treatment.
The Medical Profession's Position
The Royal College of Physicians supports further studies
In 2005 the Royal College of Physicians commissioned a working party to investigate the benefits and risks of medical cannabis as a palliative and therapeutic treatment option.
The resulting report, Cannabis and cannabis-based medicines: Potential benefits and risks for health [1], found that there is scientific evidence to support further studies of the use of THC in multiple sclerosis and in the management of other forms of chronic pain. The report considered the pharmacological effect of cannabinoids (a number of natural and synthetic compounds), their efficacy in comparison with other medicines, the results of clinical trials, the safety of cannabis and possible links between cannabis and psychosis.
1 http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news-media ... ts-and-need-further-study
The American Medical Association affirmed benefits and called for further studies
In November 2009 the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to reverse its long-held position that marijuana be retained as an illicit Schedule I substance with no medical value. The Association adopted a report drafted by the AMA Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes [2], which affirmed the therapeutic benefits of marijuana and called for further research. The report noted that the results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.
2 http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/csaph/i09csaph3ft.pdf
The Australian Medical Association remains cautious but supports research
The Australian Medical Association remains more cautious in embracing the growing global shift towards recognising the therapeutic and palliative benefits of medical cannabis, however, has not ruled out endorsing a trial of medical cannabis in Australia.The Association considers cannabis may be of medical benefit in treating HIV and cancer-related wasting, and nausea and vomiting in people with cancer, including those undergoing chemotherapy treatment. However it believes that more research needs to be undertaken to determine the medical benefit of cannabis in treating neurological disorders including (but not limited to) multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease [3].
3 http://ama.com.au/node/2556
The Australian Medical Association supports research to examine whether cannabinoids provide any greater benefit than the newer antiemetics [4].
4 Drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea.
Aborted Medical Cannabis Trials in NSW
In 1999 the NSW Drugs Summit recommended a medical cannabis trial be conducted in NSW. Then Premier Bob Carr responded by convening a Working Party which reported in August 2000 on the uses of cannabis for medical purposes [5].
5 See http://www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/medici ... _cannabis_nsw/canrep1.pdf
In May 2003 the Carr government outlined its response to the report including the establishment of an Office of Medicinal Cannabis and a proposed four-year trial. The government failed to reveal details about how the trial would operate, pre-empting its failure to eventuate in practice. Since 2004 no progress has been made by the NSW Government towards advancing a medical cannabis trial in NSW.
Further Information
ABC's Catalyst: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s888110.htm
Cancer Council: http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=1778
Appendix A: The Greens Motion in the NSW Upper House
412. Dr Kaye to move---
1. That this House:(a) notes the increasing body of peer-reviewed scientific and medical research which substantiates the palliative and therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid drugs,(b) notes that the Carr Government's 1999 Drug Summit recommended a trial of medical cannabis which has not yet been implemented, and(c) calls the Minister for Health to establish a medical trial in New South Wales, including assessing and addressing any legislative and jurisdictional barriers to this trial.
2. That this House notes that the medical cannabis trial established by the Minister for Health would confirm to the following principles:
(a) any benefits or side effects identified,(b) any legal barriers encountered and how they were addressed, and(c) any barriers to the permanent establishment of a medical marijuana scheme in New South wales and how they may be addressed.
(Notice given 23 November 2011---expires Notice Paper No. 77)
Appendix B: NSW Greens Policy, Drugs and Harm Minimisation
39. Allow drugs to be regulated and prescribed for medicinal purposes based only on their therapeutic and palliative effects.
The discussion paper includes evidence on the therapeutic and palliative benefits of medicinal cannabis and outlines the parameters of how a trial could be undertaken in NSW.
We welcome your feedback and comments on this important issue.
Please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668 fax: (02) 9230 2586 mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye@parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
HEMP Embassy
Posted by AMberz at 1:48 PM
Porajmos: The Forgotten Genocide of the European Gypsies
- Photo: German Gypsies Collected for Deportation to Camps - Bundesarchiv, R 165 Bild-244-52 / CC-BY-SA
An estimated 80% of the population of Roma, Gypsies and other travellers in Europe were executed between 1936-1945. The history books barely mention it.In the run up to the 1936 Olympic Games, it was important that the city streets were pristine. After all, the eyes of the entire world were on Germany, and the Führer wanted to show his country at its best. Buildings got a lick of paint. Cleaners swept the roads and gutters. Litter-pickers covered every inch and filled their rubbish bags. The police relocated the homeless; and the gypsies were rounded up. They were taken to camps and they were there before the Jews.
The gypsies were part of what historian Christian Bernadac called the 'Forgotten Holocaust' and their stories are yet to be comprehensively told.
Porajmos: The Gypsy Ghettos in Germany 1936-38
By the 1930s, widespread prejudice against Roma, gypsies and other travellers was endemic in Germany. Official policies and media alike conspired to link them with criminality, immorality and other undesirable behaviour. There was little dissent amongst public opinion, when the law was being seen to crack down upon these people.
Channel Manager - Hotels Update all your online hotel booking sites from one web page www.siteminder.co.ukTrain to Become a Teacher The TDA can help you start a rewarding career in teaching. www.tda.gov.uk/recruitSeveral laws had already been passed banning travellers from public amenities, like schools and swimming baths, as well as prohibiting them from marrying outside their pre-defined race. Government sanctioned campsites were set up and it became illegal for gypsies to stop anywhere else. In the spring of 1936, Hitler's government stripped gypsies of the right to vote.
A programme of registration had been enforced. All gypsies were on a database, named, fingerprinted and photographed. Anyone unable to produce their identification cards, showing their inclusion on this database, was instantly arrested. This database became invaluable, as the Olympic Games approached. It was used to identify and collect every person upon it.
The gypsies were initially contained in ghettos, away from public view, on the outskirts of the cities. These were desperately overcrowded with little scope for securing the basic necessities of life. The regime waited to see if there would be any domestic or international protests, but none came. The Nazi regime's experiment had been successful. No-one would oppose the persecution of Germany's gypsies. Prejudice against them was just too ingrained.
Read This Next
Porajmos: The Gypsies Taken to Dachau in 1938
Dachau had been opened as an internment camp in 1933. It housed Communists, political prisoners and any other dissidents, who had opposed the rise of Hitler's National Socialist Party. Prior to the gypsies being taken there, prisoner labour had been used to build an extensive network of extra complexes. These included the gas chambers and the crematorium.
The Final Solution that began here led to the extermination of these gypsies. In many ways, it was a test case to see how far the regime could go. The treatment of the travellers became a blueprint for removing other perceived 'undesirables' - create a media scare against them; legislate as a response to public pressure; restrict further interaction between the 'undesirables' and the rest of the public; restrict their movements to specific areas, then move them into ghettos; wait a while, then relocate them into the camps for extermination. Once it had worked for the Roma, then the strategy was refined and used to create the Holocaust of the Jews.
As the Third Reich's influence stretched out over Europe, more and more Roma, gypsies and travellers were sent to the death chambers. By 1945, historian Henry Huttenbach estimates that 80% of their population was gone from the continent.
Sources:
- Bernadac, C. 'L'Holocauste Oublie', quoted in Fraser A, The Gypsies. (Blackwell, 1992) p 258
- Esty, K. The Gypsies, Wanderers in Time. (New York Meredith Press, 1969.) p 94
- Huttenbach, HR. 'The Romani Porajmos: The Nazi Genocide of Gypsies in Germany and Eastern Europe,' in Crowe, DM and Kolsti, J (eds), The Gypsies of Eastern Europe (ME Sharpe, 1991) p 45.
- Noakes, J. 'Social Outcasts in the Third Reich', in Bessel, R (ed), Life in the Third Reich. (Oxford University Press, 1987.) pp 89 and 93
- Yoors, J. Crossing: A Journal of Survival and Resistance in World War II. (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1972.) p 34
Satellite TV Installation www.aerialforce.co.uk/Installations
Low Cost Satellite TV Installation. Same Day Service & Free Estimates!Royal Marines Officer facebook.com/RoyalMarinesGreenOps
Command a Commando in our new interactive challenge Green OpsFundraising Software www.missionresearch.com
Try Fundraising Management Software Free Download and Use for 30 Days!Copyright Jo Harrington. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Jo has a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy and a MA in History. She has a book published on the history of Wicca.
Isle of Wight Councillor Seeks to Ban Gypsies and Travellers | Suite101.com
Councillor Andy Sutton Misunderstood the Localism Bill
The Localism Bill 2010-11 received the Royal Assent to enter into law on November 15th 2011. It was designed to devolve much of the decision making on local issues into the council areas and provided a wider forum for public referendums. It was this which led Cllr Sutton to believe he could simply ignore his duties under the Housing Act 2004.
As time is running out on providing the recommended 24 sites ahead of the deadline, he wished to erase the need for them by removing the people.
The Isle of Wight Council's Director of Economy and Environment, Stuart Love, was quick to challenge this proposed solution. He explained, "The draft policy does not remove the requirement for councils to provide sites for gypsies and travellers, in fact it specifically states there remains a requirement to provide sites based on local evidence."
He rejected Cllr Sutton's assertion that the Council 'should revisit the core strategy', adding, "We also have responsibilities to this group of residents under other legislation, including the Housing Act and Equalities and the Diversities Act."
via suite101.com
Isle of Wight Councillor Seeks to Ban Gypsies and Travellers | Suite101.com
The report, which was carried out as part of the Housing Act 2004, placed a statutory obligation on the Isle of Wight Council to provide 24 sites by the end of 2011. Section 3.4.2 read, 'We consider this to be an underestimation of need, however without accurate caravan count data it is not possible to make a more accurate estimation.'
Their findings had also suggested that the annual caravan count had been misrepresented for years, in the council's report to the mainland.
via suite101.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)