HC Deb 06 February 1958 vol 581 cc1329-30
8. Sir W. Wakefield

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why steps are not being taken by the police to remove long-term car parkers from the Harley Street, Wimpole Street, Weymouth Street and New Cavendish Street area, so that doctors may have access to their consulting rooms, instead of towing away doctors' cars from outside their own residences and consulting rooms.

Mr. Renton

The relevant regulations do not empower the police to remove cars from the roads merely because they are parked for long periods or obstruct access to premises, but only where they interfere with the passage of other vehicles near a road junction or are parked so far from the edge of the carriageway, or so near another vehicle, as unduly to restrict the space available for the passage of other vehicles. The police must be free to remove a doctor's car in such circumstances when the owner cannot be traced; but in fact only a small proportion of the cars removed in the area referred to belonged to doctors.

Sir W. Wakefield

Is not the Minister aware that there is very great difficulty in this predominantly medical area because of the number of cars parked by people who have no business or need to be there? Cannot steps be taken to make access freer to doctors and patients in this area, which has been planned especially for medical purposes?

Mr. Renton

I am sure that doctors would not wish to claim the privilege of obstructing the traffic. I can tell my hon. Friend that doctors' cars are not removed if the owners can be traced. The Commissioner of Police recommends that where doctors have to park in busy areas, they should leave on the windscreen a note bearing their name and the place where they can be found.

Sir W. Wakefield

Is my hon. Friend aware that this is, in fact, what had been done and that I have a number of cases where full particulars of the doctor's address and where he was to be found were on his windscreen, no notice was taken of that, and the doctor's car was towed away?

Mr. Renton

If my hon. Friend has any case in mind where the practice has been clearly followed and no notice was taken of it by the police, perhaps he will let me have particulars.