§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. David Jamieson)I have considered the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee's (DPTAC) recommendations on the scheme which were based on the responses to the discussion paper circulated to key disability organisations and others earlier this year. I have also discussed those recommendations with my colleagues in the devolved administrations and the Northern Ireland Office who have responsibility for the Scheme.
We are proposing to take forward most of the recommendations that were made. A summary of our responses on each of the recommendations has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
There are a number of areas in which we have undertaken to look at amending primary legislation, in particular to ensure that the tools needed for effective enforcement are available to local authorities and the police. We will be seeking opportunities to introduce those changes as soon as possible.
55WSWe recognise the need to ensure that badges are only issued to those who most need them but we are not yet convinced that criteria for eligibility need to be restricted by law. With the devolved administrations and the Northern Ireland Office, we would prefer to see much clearer and stronger guidance issued to local authorities, as the issuing bodies, on how they should undertake that function. If, after a period of monitoring the impact of that guidance, it is clear that there are still problems with the policy on issuing, we would consider legislation at that stage. We will, in co-operation with the devolved administrations, be setting up a working group shortly to help us draw up common guidance that each administration will use.
Further research is required in a number of areas, for example, to consider the setting up of a national database of badge holders. My Department will be taking that forward, in collaboration with the devolved administrations and the Northern Ireland Office, as part of our research programme.