Part of Disabled Persons' Parking Badges Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at on 5 September 2012.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Shadow Minister (Transport)
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair this afternoon, Mr Gray. I congratulate the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown on securing his place in the ballot for private Members’ Bills and on being able to bring the Bill to the Committee. I assure him that we will be supporting it. I have a few points that I would like clarified, either by him or by the Minister, whom I welcome warmly to his place. Many of us in the House have been waiting to see him on the front bench for some years, so it is good to see that he has eventually got there. We wish him well in his role in the years to come.
I have just been observing the number of West Ham United supporters on the Committee. Were that number to be reflected in the general population, West Ham would have about 12 million supporters. I do not know whether it is a punishment for those of us, on both sides of the House, who are West Ham supporters that we have been put on the Committee; I would rather think that it is a reward for us to be here to support the excellent Bill of the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown.
I wish to raise only three points. First, can the hon. Gentleman, or indeed the Minister, reassure us that there are no resourcing implications for local authorities in the Bill? Secondly, what arrangements will be made for training enforcement officers, as we obviously want to see consistency applied with regard to the blue badge in future, just as it is at the moment? Could we also have an assurance that consistency will be maintained in the design of the badge? Design will now be more in the hands of local authorities, and there needs to be consistency across the country.
My last point is one that the hon. Gentleman referred to, but I seek confirmation on it. It concerns the frequency of appeals to the Secretary of State, which has been very low. Can we have an assurance that the removal of the provisions for the right of appeal will have no impact on an individual’s entitlement to make representations about the blue badge? Subject to those few points where we seek clarification and additional information, we will be pleased to support the Bill’s passage today.
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