§ Lord AMULREEMy Lords, I beg to 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 they are aware of the inconvenience caused to Members of both Houses of Parliament and to the general public by tourist coaches parked in Abingdon Street which is marked with a single yellow line.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)My Lords, coaches bringing visitors to the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey are allowed to use certain parts of Abingdon Street to set down and pick up passengers because there are no coach parking facilities nearby. Provided no obstruction is caused, coaches may wait on a single yellow line for a reasonable time for this purpose. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis advises coach operators about this arrangement, and he assures my right honourable friend the Home Secretary that as much attention as manpower resources and other police commitments permit is given to minimising inconvenience to Members of both Houses of Parliament and the general public.
§ Lord AMULREEMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord for that reply, which really does not get me a great deal further. The point of my Question was that obstruction seems to be caused by the flow of traffic in the street by the coaches permanently parked in Abingdon Street. I wondered whether it would not be more sensible either to abolish the yellow line 888 altogether or to summon coaches from some central car park by remote control, or to take some such steps.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, the precise arrangements over yellow lines is not a matter for the Government. The central question which the noble Lord asked relates to the provision of coach parking facilities. The problem is that there is a shortage of such facilities in this particular part of London. This is a responsibility of the Greater London Council and the Westminster City Council.
§ Lord AMULREEMy Lords, once more I thank the noble Lord for his reply. Can he tell me what is done in other capital cities? Are coaches allowed to park in places where they obstruct or interfere with Members of either House of Parliament going to their place of work?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I am afraid I cannot, without notice, give the noble Lord that information.
§ Lord DERWENTMy Lords, did the noble Lord say that coaches are allowed to stop only to pick up and set down? I saw two empty coaches parked there today, the passengers having gone a long time before, and they were blocking one of the side streets.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I did not say quite what the noble Lord imagined I said. I said that coaches may wait on a single yellow line for a reasonable period of time. The driver is supposed to remain with the coach. This is an arrangement which has been made by the Commissioner in view of the very great difficulties that he has experienced because of the very substantial number of these vehicles coming to this particular area of London, with its interest to tourists, and the fact that there is simply an inadequate supply of coach parking facilities in this part of London.
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, is it possible for the police to take note of the difficulty of coming in from a side street round a bus which is parked up to the edge of the side street? One cannot see the on-coming traffic.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I take that point. I will make quite sure that that particular point is drawn to the Commissioner's attention.