HL Deb 20 December 1989 vol 514 cc330-1WA
Lord Campbell of Alloway

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to make any changes to the operation of the extended fixed penalty system.

Earl Ferrers

On 27th June 1989, my right honourable friend the then Home Secretary (Mr. Douglas Hurd) announced that we would be consulting representative organisations about fixed penalty levels and other matters connected with the fixed penalty system. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has now considered possible changes in the light of this consultation.

My right honourable friend proposes to increase fixed penalty levels to £16 for non-endorsable offences and £32 for endorsable offences, with effect from 1st April 1990. The levels will be reviewed every two years thereafter. He proposes to amend the legislation to enable the level of enhancement which occurs when an unpaid penalty is registered as a fine to be varied by order.

As announced by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 14th December, we shall be consulting further about a possible increased fixed penalty in London and on the proposed system of priority routes.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary proposes to amend the range of offences covered by the fixed penalty system to include the offences of failing to comply with a red signal at a pelican crossing, failing to accord precedence to pedestrians at a pelican crossing or zebra crossing and failing to observe a temporary speed restriction; and to exclude offences of overloading by heavy goods vehicles.

My right honourable friend proposes to provide for traffic wardens, in addition to police officers, to issue fixed penalty notices for the endorsable offences of parking on pedestrian crossings.

My right honourable friend proposes to correct the anomaly whereby owner liability for parking offences applies only if the fixed penalty notice is affixed to the vehicle, and not if it is handed to the driver.

Orders to increase penalty levels and to amend the range of offences will be made in the near future. The other changes will require primary legislation, which will be brought forward when parliamentary time permits.