§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any consultation took place between the Home Office and the Ministry of Transport before by-law No. 3 of the Peak Park Planning Board's By-laws for behaviour on access land, made on the 8th February, 2 1955, which abrogates the proviso to subsection (1) of Section 14 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, was confirmed, and whether, in the interests of road safety, it is not desirable to permit parking off the road within the permitted distance of 15 yards.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, the Peak Park is land to which the public have been granted access by virtue of access agreements made between the Peak Park Planing Board and the owners of the laid. People who go on to tie land for the purpose of open-air recreation cannot be treated as trespassers so long as they observe the general restrictions set out in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949. One of the restrictions imposed by that Act is that people shall not ride or drive vehicles on the land. The by-law made by the Peak Park Planning Board and confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State is designed only to enforce one of the restrictions already imposed by the Act of 1949. No consultations, therefore, took place between the Ministry of Transport and the Home Office before the by-law was confirmed, because the public at large have no right to leave their vehicles on this land without permission, since it is private property.
LORD WALERANMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his Answer, in view of the fact that so much damage is created if a car is left on the highway —and, after all people go to these 3 National Parks to visit them and look at the view—would he say that perhaps in future the Home Office will consult the Ministry of Transport before a by-law is made for a National Park area?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I quite appreciate the point of road safety which the noble Lord makes, but against that has to be set the fact that so many people come and leave litter and rubbish in the parks that owners of land are often very reluctant to allow the public to enter. These two facts have to be set off against each other. I quite appreciate the noble Lord's point, and will see that it is looked into.