HC Deb 11 July 1956 vol 556 cc392-3
47. Dr. Stross

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in framing his regulations regarding parking meters, he will arrange that medical practitioners in the course of their work will be exempted from charges if they park their cars in streets in which parking meters may be installed.

Mr. Watkinson

No, Sir. A general exemption of this nature would be contrary to the principles underlying the proposals as to parking in the Road Traffic Bill.

Dr. Stross

May I thank the Minister for the letter he sent me the other day on this matter and ask him whether it is proposed to retain this inflexible attitude for ambulances and fire-fighting vehicles also? Will not the Minister please consider speaking to the British Medical Association about the whole of this matter?

Mr. Watkinson

There is nothing inflexible about my attitude on this matter. The facts are that I have, as I think the hon. Member knows, the powers to make exemptions, so that I am adequately armed with them, but I prefer to wait until I have this detailed survey of the whole of London parking which is coming to me. I think that no one will gain more from that than the doctors if they can move about rather more freely.

Mr. Ernest Davies

This is the second time the right hon. Gentleman has referred to the survey on parking. Can he indicate when the report is likely to be made? Will it be published and presented to the House?

Mr. Watkinson

As to the first part of the question, I hope that enough of the survey—which I think the hon. Gentleman, with his expert knowledge, knows is a very complicated operation—will be done to judge its merits in some areas in the early autumn. As to how much longer the total investigation will take, I am not yet in a position to say because it is such a complex operation.