PARKING ATTENDANTS

HC Deb 08 July 1991 vol 194 c687

Lords amendment: No. 11, in page 39, line 27, leave out from ("may") to end of line 30 and insert ("provide for the supervision of parking places within their area by individuals to be known as parking attendants.

1. (1A) Parking attendants shall also have such other functions in relation to stationary vehicles as may be conferred by or under any other enactment.
2. (1B) A parking attendant shall be—
1. (a) an individual employed by the authority; or
2. (b) where the authority have made arrangements with any person for the purposes of this section, an individual employed by that person to act as a parking attendant.
3. (1C) Parking attendants in Greater London shall wear such uniform as the Secretary of State may determine when exercising prescribed functions, and shall not exercise any of those functions when not in uniform.")

Mr. Chope

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

The amendment involves privilege. With this it will be convenient to consider Lords amendment No. 76.

Mr. Chope

The amendment inserts a new clause after section 63 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to provide local authorities with a clear general power to appoint parking attendants to supervise parking places. The amendment will enable parking attendants in London and elsewhere to enforce parking restrictions in special parking areas as well as the new permitted parking controls for which part II of the Bill provides.

Mr. Fearn

We welcome the amendment but query its powers, because they seem to apply only to London. However, the Minister spoke about "elsewhere", which could mean that the powers will apply outside London. I sympathise with the noble Lords who attempted to find an amendment that would introduce some guidelines on the method of payment for parking attendants. I understand that the Government disapprove of remuneration to parking attendants being based on the number of penalty charge notices issued. I agree that that would be entirely wrong.

Mr. Chope

I have nothing to add to what was said in the other place about some parking attendants being paid on the basis of the number of tickets that they issue. The Bill contains new and valuable safeguards which will enable people who feel aggrieved to go to an adjudicator. Some people feel that they are being penalised not because they overstayed the meter time but because the attendant has gambled on their not coming back to the car until the meter had ticked past the excess charge. The amendments contain the power to extend the legislation outside London, and that will be done by order when application is made. That has been considered by the Government.

Question put and agreed to. [Special Entry.]

Subsequent Lords amendment agreed to.