§ 12. Mr. Montgomeryasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many comments he has received on the subject of private non-residential parking; and whether he will make a statement.
§ 18. Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many comments he has received on the subject of private non-residential parking; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RodgersOver 250 comments were received on the consultation paper and they will be considered in the course of preparing my White Paper on transport policy.
§ Mr. MontgomeryHas the right hon. Gentleman made any assessment of the effect that parking schemes such as this will have on business in city areas such as Manchester?
§ Mr. RodgersNo, not at this stage. It is fair to say that schemes of this sort will have to be judged on merit and on local conditions. Local conditions vary immensely. That is why the responses to the consultation paper have shown a fair range of differences.
§ Mr. GristDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that those of us who represent city centre constituencies receive a constant stream of criticism not only from those precluded from parking in city centres but from those who live on the fringe of the zones, who receive an undue and unwarranted amount of traffic parking in their streets to which they have not been accustomed? Is not the right answer the provision of proper parking facilities at a reasonably low price?
§ Mr. RodgersThe issue is a good deal more complex than that, as I think the hon. Gentleman will realise on reflection. It is not only a question of the capacity of the car park but the capacity of the streets. As I have said, there are differences of opinion. I think that Members on both sides of the House have had representations from those representing each side of the argument. For the moment, I have made no decision. The consultations will continue. We shall assess them and reach a decision.
§ Mr. Ronald AtkinsDoes my right hon. Friend recall the recommendations contained in the White Paper on Urban Transport Planning published in July 1973 by the Tory Government? That document recommended, with the unanimous support of the House, that parking in city centres be discouraged by various methods.
§ Mr. RodgersI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that very timely reminder. There is a large measure of agreement that, unless there is restraint of traffic, and particularly of parking, in city centres, there is no way of ensuring the smooth running of public transport. There are also questions beyond that and they are those that were discussed in the consultation paper.
§ Mr. Norman FowlerDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise that what we are opposed to are indiscriminate parking restrictions? Does he agree that any parking scheme must recognise the legitimate rights of the business traveller and special groups such as the handicapped, for whom transport is not a luxury but a necessity?
§ Mr. RodgersIf the question is put like that, the answer is "Yes".