HL Deb 05 June 1961 vol 231 cc964-5

2.48 p.m.

EARL HOWE

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

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, on occasions when it is considered necessary to put all the parking meters in any one area out of action, adequate steps can be taken to announce the fact publicly.]

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, the use of parking meter bays may have to be suspended over an area in connection with ceremonial events or other public occasions. Special traffic arrangements are made by the police at these times, and every effort is made to inform the public fully. Details are given to the Press and broadcasting authorities, and notices are distributed beforehand to frontagers and regular parkers in the areas affected.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that last week in Pall Mall all meters were put out of action by the police? It is true that police notices were distributed along the pavement, but could not something have been done the night before, on T.V. or by the B.B.C., to inform people that that would be the case?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, about that particular occasion my noble friend is, of course, right. There were 116 meters in that area suspended on that day. Notices were distributed by being put through the letter boxes of the frontagers, and by being tucked under the windscreen wipers of cars parked there previous to the occasion. A Press notice, of which I have a copy, which I shall be glad to show my noble friend afterwards, was issued to the Press and to the broadcasting authorities. Unfortunately, there is no way in which we can make the Press or the broadcasting authorities publish the full text of such notices. If there is anything else that my noble friend thinks could be done, I should be very glad to pass it on to the appropriate quarter.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that it is not really enough to put notices in letter boxes and the like, because the cars parked at the meters are not necessarily the property of the frontagers to the street? It needs something a little better to inform everybody what is going on; otherwise people arriving there and expecting to be able to park will find they cannot, and then they will clutter up the traffic unnecessarily in an effort to try to find somewhere to go.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I did not pretend that the distribution of notices was all that was necessary. I merely asked whether there was anything else that could be done apart from the issue of a notice, fully descriptive of the arrangements, to the Press and to the broadcasting authorities, which I should have thought was reasonable action for the police to take. I do not know what else they could do in the circumstances. If there are any useful suggestions, as I said, I shall be pleased to pass them on.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, one thing that could be done is to pay for an advertisement in the Press and on I.T.V.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, could not the Minister consider putting a notice on the parking meters saying that they will be out of action on the following day for such-and-such a period of time?

LORD CHESHAM

These are suggestions which, as I said, I will pass on.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, in his first reply my noble friend use a phrase that I have never heard used before—I hope he will give the House a definition. Can he tell us what a "regular parker" is in a parking meter zone?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I have heard it suggested that the only way of finding that out is by acting as a nosey-parker.