HC Deb 08 February 1982 vol 17 cc289-90W
Dr. Roger Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards restricting the display of a "disabled" badge on a vehicle to those occasions when the disabled person is making direct use of the vehicle.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

It is now an offence under the Disabled Persons Act 1981 for an able-bodied person to take advantage of the concessions provided under the orange badge scheme. We propose to make badges more easily removable to reduce the scope for this abuse.

Dr. Roger Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to seek to change entitlement to disabled drivers' badges.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The new regulations proposed for the orange badge scheme will confine entitlement to recipients of mobility alowance, the blind, those using vehicles supplied by Government Departments or receiving grants towards their own vehicles, and other people with a permanent and substantial disability which causes very considerable difficulty in walking.