Peers: Car Parking (Hansard, 4 March 1991)

§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)
My Lords, I can assure the House that the provision of car parking space for Members attending the House is a matter for careful periodic review. The last review was undertaken last summer, when spaces in the Peers' car park were redesigned. This work allowed for easier circulation without reducing numbers.

The Earl of Selkirk
My Lords, I readily appreciate the difficulties which face us. I do not know whether it is my noble friend or others who have to take a decision. Does he agree that it is disturbing to see cars parked on the road outside the parking areas? That is extremely dangerous on a road which has much fast traffic. That also looks as though the Peers could not find a proper place to park their cars. I hope that my noble friend will continue in his efforts to meet the needs of the increasing number of people who over the past four or five years have wished to park here.

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I shall certainly take on board what my noble friend has said. I do not think that the cars which are parked on the road are normally your Lordships' cars. Usually, they have something to do with another place.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that noble Lords in all parts of the House are grateful to him and to the Gentleman Usher for the assistance that they give us in these matters? Is he further aware that the police officers are uniformly courteous to us? Can the noble Lord say whether they are authorised to assist noble Lords to leave and enter the parking area? As regards the complaint made by the noble Earl concerning cars parked outside the parking area, is he aware that those which give the greatest difficulty and hindrance to noble Lords are vans which park there and about which nothing is done by police officers or anyone else?

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord for what he has said about the police. They are uniformly courteous and do their very best to help your Lordships. The primary function of the officers on duty is security. However, they are available to help if your Lordships are in difficulty in trying to get in or out of the car park, and they usually help. I hope they will continue to do so.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, from my own observation and from the advice that I have received from noble Lords, the police officers in New Palace Yard who are responsible for the other place are more active in assisting Members of the House of Commons to leave and enter their parking area than those who assist us.

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I am not sure that I know the answer to that problem. From my observation, there seem to be a good many more officers at the House of Commons entrance. We usually have one man at our entrance. It is difficult for him to exercise his security function at the same time as he is helping Peers to drive in and out of the parking area. The noble Lord made another point about vans which I forgot to answer. There is a security implication there. Wherever possible, we hope that vans will not be brought inside the perimeter. At the present moment, they stop there to be unloaded.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, I endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, has said about the service with which we are provided by the police and security staff outside. As I came into the Chamber, I was presented with a new vehicle pass, which I shall use. Can the noble Lord say whether it extends to the car park across the road to which the noble Lord referred earlier as being tenanted by Members of another place? If the pass does not extend to the other car park, can the noble Lord say why not?

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, if the noble Lord is referring to the parking spaces in front of Nos. 6 and 7 Old Palace Yard, there are spaces there. In that particular car park there are 10 spaces for the House of Commons, and our staff have 23.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that there should be a fine for Peers who park along the line between parking spaces and who therefore take up two parking spaces?

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, yes I do.

§ The Duke of Norfolk
My Lords, is it not clear that we are seeking a long-term solution? The giving of immediate answers is not enough. Does my noble friend agree that the statue of Richard Coeur de Lion should be taken away for the summer holidays and a car park made underneath? He can be put back in the autumn.

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, the provision of car parking is a feature in the forward planning of the parliamentary estate; but that is some way ahead.

§ Lord Mayhew
My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that in the meantime when the car park is full it would be helpful for that to be plainly indicated outside?

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I shall see whether that is a practical proposition. Very often, even though the car park is full, the police manage to find a space for an extra vehicle.

The Earl of Selkirk
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend, particularly for the last point that he made; namely, that this is a matter which is going to be taken up. Does my noble friend agree that it warrants a degree of urgency? Today there is a very real crush in the car park. On many occasions one cannot get in at all. I do not know how many noble Lords have had to park elsewhere. I have had to do so on occasions.

§ The Chairman of Committees
My Lords, I very much sympathise with my noble friend. Unfortunately, it is a problem that we face together with many other people who live and/or work in London.