HL Deb 27 February 1973 vol 339 cc523-6
LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

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, in order to effect an immediate reduction in the number of daily commuter cars entering Central London, they will withdraw all parking facilities in the Royal Parks.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (LORD SANDFORD)

My Lords, the Government's policy is to provide parking for genuine visitors to the Royal Parks while deterring parking by the all-day commuter. With this in mind, parking before noon will shortly be prohibited in St. James's Park, Green Park and Hyde Park and before 11 a.m. in Regent's Park. If more stringent controls are needed my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will not hesitate to introduce them.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, while those controls will go some way towards reducing the number of commuter cars, is the Minister aware that it would be far better to prohibit parking in the Royal Parks for all time, so that the number of cars is at once reduced by a tough and positive decision?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot agree with my noble friend. The Royal Parks are there for people to enjoy, and in our parking policy we have to distinguish between the provision to be made for genuine visitors to the Royal Parks and restricting the facility for the all-day commuter. We believe that this policy will secure that result.

LORD REIGATE

My Lords, if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to reduce the number of commuter cars in London, will my noble friend and his Department extend their inquiries to cover the use of parking facilities within the perimeter of various Government Departments and at such places as the Horseguards, around the Ministry of Defence, and so forth?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, the Horseguards is part of the Royal Parks. As to the rest of London, the G.L.C. is the main traffic authority.

LORD REIGATE

My Lords, arising out of that answer, may I point out that what I meant was the perimeter of Government Departments?

LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that his Answer is much to be welcomed? Is he aware that for years now the parking space in the Royal Parks has been occupied from early morning to late at night by the same cars, and has long since ceased to perform the purpose which we would wish of providing for the occasional visitor? Also, is my noble friend aware that, if the action proposed is not sufficient, he should go further still?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend.

LORD SHINWELL

My Lords, if it is impossible to reduce the number of cars parking in the Royal Parks—which has already become a bit of an abomination and is very unsightly—why not try to raise revenue by introducing parking meters for them? What is wrong with that?

Loan SANDFORD

My Lords, there are a number of possibilities beside those which I have just outlined, and we shall keep them all under review. But these proposals are the ones which at the present moment we think will secure the policy we want to pursue.

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether the Government are aware that there is an enormous underground garage at Marble Arch which is very sparsely used, probably because it is too expensive? Will they investigate means of making this easier to use?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, needless to say we looked with the G.L.C. into the situation that pertains around the Parks before we decided to introduce these measures.

LORD HANKEY

My Lords, will the Government bear in mind that if unduly savage measures are taken they might damage the economy of London, and indeed of the country, and will probably cause more unemployment?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, noble Lords will have seen in my right honourable friend's comment on the Layfield Committee's Report on the Greater London Development Plan, that he takes the view that traffic control requires a combination of measures to produce the desired results.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, reverting to the Minister's original reply, am I to understand that it is the policy of the Government to retain parking in the Royal Parks in order that the small minority of visitors who use motor cars should have that facility granted to them, at the expense of many thousands of people who visit the Parks without the need for cars?

LORD SANDFORD

My Lords, again I cannot entirely agree with my noble friend. If all parking were prohibited around all the Royal Parks they would then be used exclusively by the people who are lucky enough to live around them. They are available for Londoners as a whole, and I am sure it must be possible for people to go to the Royal Parks from wherever they happen to live and park their cars there. What we are anxious to prevent is the use of the Royal Parks as all-day car parks by commuters.