§ 51. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the success 2100 which resulted from the arrangements made by the Metropolitan Police for maintaining the traffic flow in the London area during the strike period, he will give an assurance that as far as possible these arrangements will be continued despite the conclusion of the strike until such time as essential major road developments have been completed.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe success of the police in maintaining the flow of London's traffic during the recent strike was due to three main factors. The resources of the Metropolitan police were greatly augmented by the working of long hours and by reinforcements from neighbouring forces and from the special constabulary; secondly, motorists made substantial use of emergency parking areas outside the centre of London; and, thirdly, motorists co-operated in staggering their hours of work and refraining from making unnecessary journeys into the centre of London. The first two of these factors were temporary. I hope that motorists will take the third to heart. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation has already stated, the experience of the emergency is being studied in order to discover what lessons it has for normal times.
§ Mr. Gresham CookeIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the car parking situation in the centre of London is deteriorating again? Can he not make more Royal Parks available for car parking, as was done during the railway strike?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI do not know that I should be very happy to extend car parking in the parks of London, which are among the greatest assets of the Metropolis, though I do not think anybody minded during the emergency period. Other parking spaces were in streets and outside houses, which was all right for the time being, but certainly could not be tolerated permanently.