HC Deb 03 November 1976 vol 918 cc1390-1
9. Sir J. Langford-Holt

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what percentage the number of passes issued for parking on the Horse Guards Parade has increased or decreased since October 1974.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Mr. Denis Howell)

The number of passes issued has increased by approximately 6 per cent.

Sir J. Langford-Holt

Does the Minister feel that he is fulfilling his duties in protecting the environment by allowing such an annual increase in the number of these passes issued to privileged people parking in what is, after all, a public place? What categories of people are entitled to park free of charge on Horse Guards Parade?

Mr. Howell

The 6 per cent. to which I referred was in the year for which the hon. Gentleman asked; it is not an annual increase. Some of the passes have gone to departmental staff who are increasingly required to work outside the hours when public transport is available. Also, some of the increase is due to the fact that we have had to accommodate the temporary closure of the old Admiralty car park while an emergency power station is being erected in the Vicinity. That will be completed in August 1978, and a substantial number of the passes for Horse Guards Parade will then cease.

Mr. Lipton

Is my right hon. Friend suggesting that these people with parking passes are working such anti-social hours that it is impossible for them to use public transport? Is it still Government policy to dissuade people from bringing private cars into central London?

Mr. Howell

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is "Yes". These are the people who work for Ministers of the Government, and it is because they are required to work the anti-social hours which we in this House inflict on them and ourselves that this situation has arisen.