Parking Permits: Disabled Drivers (Hansard, 18 June 1986)

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, no such arrangements exist.

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that surprisingly uninformative Answer. Is he aware that there is a real need for short-term permits for parking for disabled people? Many people who have injuries, accidents, operations and so on require a short-time permit only. If only long-term permits are issued this puts a premium on unscrupulous applications for a permanent permit which is not required.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am very well aware of the arguments put forward by my noble friend. The first three-year cycle of the badge and the programme has been completed. We are looking into the operation of the scheme with the local authorities and we shall bear in mind the arguments of my noble friend.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, will the noble Lord assure the House that he will not simply accept the brief that he is offered from the department, but that he will take into account the fact that the general badge has been grossly abused? Will he take into account that there is—as the noble Lord, Lord Nugent, has said—a very real need for this short-term parking facility?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we are aware that there has been abuse of the badge. This is one of the matters that we are looking at in reviewing the operation with the local authorities.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that local authorities draw up their own schemes and issue the orange badges which are then valid throughout the country except in central London? Within the legislation and the guidelines 859 issued to them is there provision for them to issue licences for shorter periods than three years or more, even if in practice they are not doing so?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I do not believe that the local authorities can issue the badge for a shorter period than three years. However, this is one of the points that we shall be looking at. I think that we have to go back to why the scheme was designed in the first place. It was designed to assist only those people with a permanent and very considerable difficulty in walking, and the blind and one or two other groups.

§ Lord Renton
My Lords, as one who sometimes has to drive a very severely disabled person in my car, and bearing in mind that that person can walk only a few yards from the destination at which the car arrives to the place where that person has to go (for example, a doctor's surgery), will he bear in mind the need to issue at least temporary permits for driving severely disabled people as passengers?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the scheme at present is designed specifically to take into account my noble friend's point where one has, as a passenger, somebody who is severely disabled and has considerable difficulty in walking, whereas the driver, such as my noble friend, I am glad to say, is fit enough to compete with the rest of us.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl my kinsman why he thinks permits have to be for three years? Why cannot temporary permits for three or six months be issued in a different colour? They could then be handed back. Can these not be issued by people's doctor and handed in to the doctor?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the scheme is run by the local authorities. The original purpose of the scheme was, as I have said before, to help those with a permanent disability. There was therefore no intention of providing for a temporary badge. But all these arguments will be taken into account in the process of our consideration of the scheme. The arguments of any of your Lordships who care to write to my department will of course be considered.

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, I, and I am sure other noble Lords, are grateful to my noble friend for undertaking to consider this point. Is he aware that in doing so he should remember that when arrangements were made in this House for permits for exemption from wearing compulsory seat belts, there was a specific provision for short-term permits? As that was workable, it might be possible to make this workable, too.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, my noble friend makes a very valid point.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, it is some time since we last debated this subject of parking for disabled people. Is not the most important point that the orange badge must be removable and therefore it is shown on the car only when a disabled person—as mentioned by my noble friend Lord Renton—is in it?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right. The abuse of this scheme is something that we should not tolerate because it lowers the value of the scheme and makes it considerably harder for those who have a serious problem.