§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they now propose to permit car parking in Hyde Park for 4-hour periods rather than the recently introduced 2-hour periods; and whether they intend to prevent immediate re-parking by commuters and shoppers; and
Whether the level of all day parking in Hyde Park has been satisfactorily reduced;
Whether they will expedite the provision of traffic-calming measures in Hyde Park; and
Whether they intend to return the car park which was established to serve the restaurant at the southern end of the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park to grassland; and if so, when; and
Why the Royal Parks Agency commissioned a three-year market research project on visitor profiles and visitors' views on services and facilities in their parks; and what was the cost of this project; and
Whether the provision of services and facilities is included in the remit of the Royal Parks Agency; and, if so, whether this responsibility includes the provision of buildings.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of National Heritage (Viscount Astor):Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Kennet from the Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Agency, Mr. David Welch, dated 14 March 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage to reply to your parliamentary Questions about a number of aspects of the management of the Royal Parks.