HL Deb 06 May 1958 vol 209 cc1-3

2.37 p.m.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what space is to be provided as a car park for railway travellers from the new Gatwick Airport station.]

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I am happy to be able to inform the noble Lord that there will be a car park at the airport, adjacent to the railway station forecourt, and that it will hold forty-nine cars.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord if he would tell us whether it is considered that parking meters should be installed as well?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I should doubt very much whether parking meters will be installed at this particular car park.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his reply. Will Her Majesty's Government ask the Transport Commission to ask British Railways to "plan big" in this matter, because the official railway parking space has already proved totally inadequate at the neighbouring junctions at Horsham, Hayward's Heath, Holley and Three Bridges; and parking space for forty-nine cars will in due course prove inadequate at Gatwick Airport.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I will certainly bring that point to the attention of my right honourable friend, but I would mention that the airport car park proper holds 300 cars; so probably if there should be inconvenience, the press of people could park in the airport park. The car park in the station forecourt is, in fact, the property of the Ministry of Transport at present.

LORD SILKIN

My Lords, would the noble Earl please repeat his answer to noble Lords on this side of the House?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I beg the pardon of noble Lords on the other side. There is an airport car park, the property of the Ministry of Transport, in the airport proper, on the other side of the Brighton Road, and this airport car park holds 300 cars.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, many people will hear with great satisfaction my noble friend's reply, that there is a possibility that car parking space reserved for the airport will also be available for travellers from the railway station.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, that being so, may I ask the noble Earl whether he does not think that it would be as well to go in for parking discs instead of parking meters?