HC Deb 28 February 1975 vol 887 cc269-70W
Mr. Crawford

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will extend to the City of London, the London borough of the City of Westminster and the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea the parking exemptions currently in force in Scotland whereby disabled persons can leave their vehicles at places where waiting is prohibited and in parking bays without charge and without limitation on time.

Mr. Mulley

The parking exemptions throughout Great Britain allow parking of vehicles displaying the "orange badge" without charge or time limit at parking meters, and without time limit on dotted yellow lines. On continuous yellow lines in Scotland such vehicles may park without time limit when there is no ban on loading or unloading. A statutory instrument will be laid to effect similar concessions in England and Wales from 1st June although limited to waiting periods of two hours.

Before these national schemes were started it was decided that the inner London boroughs should be exempted because of their special traffic and parking problems. Following a recent review with the local authorities concerned it was decided that the places mentioned in the Question should remain exempted, but these local authorities operate concessionary schemes for the disabled who live or work in their areas.