§ 32. Sir H. Williamsasked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to amend the notices in unilateral parking streets in order to remove the ambiguity in that part of the notices which reads, "Waiting limited to 20 minutes in any hour."
Mr. BraithwaiteI am not aware that ambiguity has arisen regarding these notices in any part of the country. They refer to any consecutive period of 60 minutes, no matter when such period commences.
§ Sir H. WilliamsAs the notices do not comply with the Statutory Instrument under which they have been exhibited, and as no hon. Member who has read them can understand what they mean, will the Minister take care not to put up a notice which has no intelligible meaning of any kind whatsoever?
Mr. BraithwaiteI can only inform my hon. Friend that no complaints have been received. If serious difficulty arises, my right hon. Friend will, of course, reexamine the matter.
§ Sir H. WilliamsDoes it mean that in future all policemen are to be provided with a stop-watch?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs the Minister aware that these are not the only ambiguous notices to be seen in the West End of London?
§ 45. Mr. Mulleyasked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to install parking meters, as an experiment, to deal with traffic congestion in busy shopping areas.
Mr. BraithwaiteThe Report of the Working Party on Car Parking in the Inner Area of London, which has just been published, includes a proposal of this kind. The recommendations in the Report must be considered as a whole, and it is too early yet to come to final conclusions about them.
§ Mr. MulleyIs it necessary for legislation to be passed before any local authorities can make an experiment? If 1814 there is need for a small piece of legislation of the kind, would he consider introducing it, because this matter affects not only London but other local authorities as well?
Mr. BraithwaiteObviously the first thing is to consider the Report, and my right hon. Friend remains of the same opinion as when replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell) on 26th January.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltWill the hon. Gentleman remember, while his Department is plucking up courage to reach a decision on this matter and on other matters, like unilateral parking, that the traffic system in London is getting daily more difficult and chaotic?
§ 50. Lieut.-Colonel Liptonasked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a further statement about the Traffic Advisory Committee's Report on Car Parking in Central London; and whether he will arrange to display in the Members' Tea Room a specimen parking meter of the type recommended in the Report.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI should like to congratulate the Working Party on Car Parking in Inner London on their Report, but, as it was only published last Thursday, I cannot make any statement about it at the moment. I will consider the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion of putting a specimen parking meter in the Members' Tea Room.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the Government are taking over £330 million a year in tax from motorists, and will he undertake to make a start with these four underground garages which have been proposed in the West End of London? He has had the Report long enough to enable him to make up his mind.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIn a matter of this kind it is very important to get the public's reaction as well.
§ Mr. BurdenWould it not be better to put a specimen parking meter on these benches?
§ Mr. Langford-HoltCan the Minister say when the Department will reach a decision on unilateral parking, which forms part of this Report?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have not been asked about that in this Question.