§ 2.44 p.m.
§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVEMy 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 what steps they are taking to ensure that only those disabled drivers who are entitled to do so use the orange car badge.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government consider that the essential first step is to seek to ensure that badges are not issued to people who do not qualify for a badge under the regulations. To this end, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced in another place on 21st March that a standard form of medical certificate has been devised to be used when applying for a badge. The Health Departments for England and Wales are asking local authorities to recommend doctors to use it. Use of an orange badge by an unentitled person constitutes a traffic offence for which the police can prosecute.
§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVEMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that very helpful reply. Is she aware that there is great consternation, to put it mildly, among able-bodied people—perhaps out of jealousy—when they see other able-bodied people using orange badges, and disabled people who are unable to park because able-bodied people have taken their place? Do the Government think that, in the foreseeable future—say, within two years—it might be possible to change the fundamental background colour of these badges and start again, because there is now a vast proliferation?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, something like 200,000 of these badges have already been issued. The point which the noble Baroness has made, about changing the colour of the background to these badges, is not, so far as I know, one that has been considered by my right honourable friend, and I will certainly draw his attention to it.
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONMy Lords, may I add to what the noble Baroness, Lady Macleod, has said, and say that many severely disabled people who need parking places are not able to get them, because able-bodied people are taking the spaces meant for them, and that the disabled are extremely worried about it? Disabled passengers—not drivers—are also issued with an orange badge, which they are able to leave on the car of an able-bodied driver. Can the Government see that the name is written on the badge, and that it is an offence if able-bodied people drive a car which has a badge of whatever colour?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, it is now an offence for someone who is not entitled to do so to make use of the orange badge. But I will certainly bring the suggestion of the noble Baroness to the attention of my right honourable friend.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that in Scotland the name is required to be on the badge?
§ Baroness STEDMANYes, my Lords. The Scottish Office are at present also looking at our proposals for the int' oduction of the medical form to see whether they can produce something in line with that.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, as this is a well-known abuse, is it not possible for the Government to encourage traffic wardens to look at the people getting into cars using this badge?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, far be it from me to suggest that traffic wardens should do more than they do at the moment. But it is an offence, and traffic wardens have authority to ask people to move on if they are wrongly 8 using a disabled badge, and, indeed, to institute proceedings if they are doing so.
§ Lord AVEBURYMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that disabled people to whom I have spoken have expressed the highest satisfaction about this scheme, and about the lack of formalities associated with the applications which they put in for the badge? Will she take care, in any amendments that are examined, not to impose enormous barriers on the issue of such badges to disabled people which would make it any more difficult for them than it is now?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, we know how much this badge has been appreciated by those who really need to use it. What we are concerned about is that a very small handful of people are using badges when they are not entitled to do so, and are thus preventing disabled people and severely disabled passengers from making use of the facilities available. We certainly do not want to do anything to make it less easy for really worthy people to get a badge, or for disabled people to take advantage of the facilities.
The Earl of HALSBURYMy Lords, would the noble Baroness be agreeable to considering some relief in law for the relatives of the disabled, who are running errands for them, which they could not run unless there was some economy of time by the use of the disabled drivers' badge?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, that raises a rather wider question. I would rather take advice on it and write to the noble Earl.
§ Lord PARRYMy Lords, will my noble friend accept that she has the sympathy of a great many of us in this House in the positive steps which she announced in her response to the Question? Will she also accept that there has been an abuse of this badge system which has worked to the disadvantage of those who are so greatly benefiting from its introduction? Also, does she hope, with me, that this Question which has been put before the House may lead those people who are abusing the system to realise that, in cheating on it, they are degrading the system and debasing the badge itself?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, time and time again in this House, we have decried from all sides of the Chamber the abuse of the use of the orange label, and I am sure that all Members of your Lordships' House will continue to do so. There is just one point which I should like to make in mitigation. From time to time, we get allegations that unentitled people are being issued with orange badges. But some of the rules require medical judgment to be exercised in deciding whether disabilities meet the criteria, and a layman may sometimes conclude, quite wrongly, that a badge has been improperly issued. However, in spite of that, we still deplore anyone taking advantage by having on a car an orange label to which he or she is not entitled.
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONMy Lords, could the Minister tell us what are the existing criteria?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, it might be easier if I said that I will let the noble Baroness have a list of all these things.
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONBut perhaps, my Lords, it is too long.