§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it can be arranged for a disc experiment in lieu of parking meters to be carried out in an area of London comparable to the north-west Mayfair experiment, and in some important provincial city before any further steps are taken to experiment with and spend huge sums of money on parking meters.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government do not propose to introduce a parking experiment with the French disc system in Central London. I have already explained the reasons for this in replies to my noble friend Lord Howe on February 11 and 25. My right honourable friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation is prepared to consider proposals for the use of the disc system in other areas but, since new legislation would be required, there can be no prospect of such an experiment in the immediate future.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether, in the event of 440 some other area or provincial city desiring to have an experiment such as has been suggested, he would delay any sort of opinion, for or against, the experiment which it is proposed to conduct in North-West Mayfair in London?
§ LORD MANCROFTNo, my Lords. I think it would be a great advantage to others who might be considering the French disc system to see how the parking meter experiments work in London.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord how, without any equivalent experiment with the disc system, he can possibly tell whether it will work in London or whether it will not, observing that it is a huge success in Paris?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I cannot tell how the system would work in London because it is not going to be tried. What we want to see is how the parking meter system is going to work.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I say, as the noble Lord seems unable to answer this question, that I shall certainly put down a Motion at an early date?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I am afraid that the answer will be exactly the same as those I have already given to the noble Earl on three successive occasions.
LORD TEYNHAMMy Lords, arising out of the noble Lord's reply, I wonder whether the Government would reconsider their decision about trying the disc plan in the London area. Surely at the present time anything that will save money—and the disc system will save money—is worth while.