§ Lord Trefgarneasked Her Majesty's Government:
About the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering to the management and provision of services for the new local authority on-street parking enforcement system under the Road Traffic Act 1991.
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)In November 1991 the Department of the Environment consulted local authorities nationally about the extension of CCT to further services(Competing for Quality—A Consultation Paper), which included the provision and management of services for the new local authority on-street parking enforcement system (under Part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991). This information was supplemented by further detail in the draft traffic management and parking guidance for London issued in March this year for consultation.
There was general agreement that the services should cover the provision of parking attendants, the clamping and removal, and the release, of vehicles found breaching the new decriminalised controls, and the management of such services. Some concern was expressed about the timing of the introduction of CCT to these services. The London local authorities in particular felt that they needed time to assess the levels of enforcement that will be necessary to help them determine specifications for CCT.
To meet these concerns we have concluded that the services should not be subject to compulsory competitive tendering until 1st April 1995. Outside London, authorities will generally not be given the powers to apply the new parking enforcement system until experience of their operation in London has been gained. It is intended that CCT will also apply in those areas from 1st April 1995.
The requirement to introduce CCT for these services will be made by order under existing 8WA legislation. The order will be subject to formal consultation before coming to Parliament for approval.