HL Deb 14 January 1987 vol 483 cc547-8

2.44 p.m.

Lord Brougham and Vaux

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action the Metropolitan Police are taking to combat illegal parking.

The Minister of State, Home Office (The Earl of Caithness)

My Lords, the Metropolitan Police devote considerable resources to their continuous effort to tackle illegal parking in London. Nearly 1.9 million fixed penalty tickets were issued in the first nine months of 1986. The new fixed penalty system was implemented on 1st October 1986, and wheelclamping was contracted out on 1st December. These measures should improve the effectiveness of the police's enforcement effort.

Lord Brougham and Vaux

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply and should say that I am in favour of the scheme of wheel clamping. Can my noble friend tell the House whether the contracting out will lead to more wheel clamping and can he confirm that a police officer accompanies the units going around London?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I can confirm that wheel clamping teams operate under the supervision of a police constable who decides which vehicles are to be wheel clamped. We anticipate that wheel clampings, which at the moment number about 30,000 to 40,000 a year, will increase up to 100,000. That should certainly have a deterrent effect on illegal parking.

Lord Paget of Northampton

My Lords, have the Metropolitan Police any instructions with regard to clamping invalid driver cars?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, perhaps I can write to the noble Lord on that particular point.