§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures he has collated on the number of disabled parking permits that have gone missing in the post after being issued in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority. [117112]
737W
§ Mr. JamiesonThere is no legal requirement for local authorities to hold such records and the Department does not currently ask for that information as part of its annual blue badge statistical survey of local authorities in England. The devolved administrations are responsible for the scheme in other parts of the UK.
The issues of misuse and abuse of badges were considered as part of the recent review of the Blue Badge scheme. In concluding the review some 47 recommendations were made to Ministers through the Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee, the Department's statutory advisers on the transport needs of disabled people, including a number of enforcement measures. The Government accepted most of these and will be taken them forward at the earliest opportunity. A summary of the recommendations and the Government's response to them was placed in the Libraries of the House on 18 December 2002.