Parking Places (Variation of Charges) Bill

In practice, it would work in the same way as the Bill, but it makes it absolutely clear that the...

Is my hon. Friend saying that he does not think councils should be able to raise parking charges ...

No. I think it is clear that if a local authority decided that raising charges was appropriate, i...

My hon. Friend is talking about giving councils the flexibility to lower prices in order to stimu...

I do not think my hon. Friend’s intervention is heavy-handed at all; it is right that we discuss ...

On raising car parking charges and car parking charges in general, must not revenue from car park...

No, councils can make a reasonable surplus from their car parking and contribute it to their bott...

Increasing parking charges may be legitimate, but it might have a very damaging effect on local b...

I completely agree with my hon. Friend in terms of the overall theory. On putting up car parking ...

Some councils, however, do not lower parking charges but use them as cash cows—my own local autho...

Yes, I will be very happy to comment on that. I have no problem with a local authority looking to...

Will my hon. Friend give way.

I will give way in a moment.

I can think of an example from my constituency. Crossways car ...

My hon. Friend is clearly extremely well versed in such matters, so I want him to help me fully u...

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. To be clear, I absolutely welcome the thrust of the ...

I want to say a few words about my hon. Friend’s new clause. I can see the sentiment behind it, b...

I totally accept the intention of this noble and worthwhile Bill, but it is not made absolutely e...

That was the point that I was endeavouring to get across. It is about the wording. My hon. Friend...

Like my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), I have a slight problem wi...

I respect my hon. Friend’s comments about the strength of Bury St Edmunds, but in other parts of ...

Surely my hon. Friend takes my point that local councils are, in the main, the people who should ...

There are already provisions for local authorities to increase parking charges if they wish to do...

Fine, but that takes me back to my earlier point, which is that that is already in the Bill. Are ...

This has already been a passionate debate, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Torba...

I was not a member of the Committee, so I could not move an amendment at that stage. I am therefo...

I am in error because I should clearly have asked my hon. Friend to join the Committee. He would ...

Order. Whether, and to what extent, the hon. Gentleman indulges in retail therapy and what assess...

I am flattered, Mr Speaker, that you should call me back to this point and ask me to explain myse...

My hon. Friend is right to talk about the success of towns. Does he agree that that is why it is ...

I am glad that my hon. Friend has intervened. He represents Torbay, which is a very beautiful sea...

Is that not, in a nutshell, why we do not need to press this new clause? We are talking about fle...

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend, who has been a great champion not only on the matter of par...

To be fair, I do accept the very valid points that my hon. Friend makes. Private sector operators...

My hon. Friend helpfully leads me into an area that I wish to discuss in a moment, which is the i...

rose—

I will resist my hon. Friend the Minister, who looks as though he could spring to the Dispatch Bo...

indicated assent.

The Minister is nodding his head. I am sure he will reassure Members that I have not put anything...

The A5, which passes my hon. Friend’s seat of Bosworth, is also the link through to my constituen...

My hon. Friend knows how fast our area is developing. A huge business park is being developed at ...

On my hon. Friend’s point about online retail, a 2011 report called “Re-Think! Parking on the Hig...

I do agree. I shall discuss the impact the Bill will have throughout the country later in my spee...

My hon. Friend just referred to London having extremely expensive parking charges, but it obvious...

I accept that London is a special case and, of course, my hon. Friends and I do not represent Lon...

indicated assent.

I am very pleased to see my hon. Friend the Minister nodding.

On the broad point about business and regeneration—perhaps my hon. Friend will touch on this in h...

My hon. Friend, ever eloquent, has struck a rich seam there. I am not going to mine it, but no do...

Ah!

The Bill actually affects Wales, but it will not be implemented there and I do not have the stati...

King Richard.

Indeed; King Richard died in horrid circumstances, leaving Henry Tudor to be crowned Henry VII. I...

Does my hon. Friend agree that if special events are about communities coming together and bringi...

I have a good recollection of those events, and the Bill is not about raising charges; it is abou...

Does my hon. Friend agree that this is particularly pertinent in rural communities and small mark...

One is always looking for help in this place, and my hon. Friend almost makes my closing remarks ...

I welcome the opportunity to comment on the new clause and the important points made by my hon. F...

It is disappointing to hear that Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council does not have the sort of ...

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words. I reassure him that, following the implementation of t...

On that point, is this the most practical way for consulting local business, particularly when a ...

As ever, my hon. Friend makes a pertinent point. I am glad to hear about the business improvement...

I welcome the news that the Minister’s Department will be consulting on the matter of consultatio...

We have heard a great deal about Santa. I am not sure whether my hon. Friend the Member for Boswo...

Although I appreciate that there has been much talk about town centre car parking, does the Minis...

Consultation is always important. The two issues are interlinked. Many hospitals are situated in ...

Will the Minister confirm that the regulations will also cover coach parking? Coach parking charg...

As I was sitting down, I glanced up and noticed that I have cleared the Public Gallery, which is ...

Not for the first time.

It is always good to be part of the legislative process when the hon. Gentleman is on the Opposit...

I thank the Minister, and particularly the Member in charge of the Bill, my hon. Friend the Membe...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Third time.

It is a special moment for me to bri...

It is a pleasure to be here for the Opposition to respond to the Bill. I wish the hon. Member for...

Let me just try to help the hon. Gentleman and bring a little clarity. He is right in what he say...

I am grateful to the Minister. I was interested to see that the Bill deals with both on-street an...

I am extremely pleased to be able to contribute to this debate. I thank my hon. Friend the Member...

To pick up the point about flexibility and a local authority being able to reduce car-parking cha...

A massive point about the floods was the great outpouring of support for our communities from the...

Does my hon. Friend agree that it could be right to have some restrictions to make things slightl...

My hon. Friend is absolutely correct. I referred earlier to having spent 30 years in retail, and ...

It seems to me that the hon. Gentleman is being more than a bit partisan. Is he aware that it is ...

I think I said earlier that it is welcome when councils do things well, but sadly there are far t...

My hon. Friend will recall that intervened on the Bill’s promoter, my hon. Friend the Member for ...

As always, my hon. Friend makes a valid point. The strategies that councils have in place in the ...

My hon. Friend’s experiences contrast with mine of my local Conservative council, Hambleton—this ...

My hon. Friend makes a valid point. For a retailer, it is vital that a local resident can pop dow...

I add my congratulations to my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (David Tredinnick) on achievin...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the small independent trader adds to the richness of our high stre...

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. As I mentioned, Derby has just won the Great British high...

On the private sector, it is important that local authorities consult with the private sector, ye...

I agree absolutely. Having been not only in retail for over 30 years, but an avid shopper for ove...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (David Tredinnick) on introducing the Bill....

There are local business initiatives in Brighouse and Hebden Bridge in my constituency, and busin...

As I said earlier, the Halesowen chamber of trade has done a huge amount of work to increase foot...

My hon. Friend makes a salient point. Car parks that have fallen into disrepair, or are hardly us...

I entirely agree. We must not allow that to happen. Making car parks full and making them places ...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (David Tredinnick) on introducing this impo...

The situation is similar in my constituency, which is also near to a larger town—Cambridge in my ...

My hon. Friend makes a good point and I could not agree more. We are looking for a symbiotic rela...

Does my hon. Friend think that local authorities that take the wrong approach are likely to cook ...

That is a very good point. It has been a fantastic debate. We have talked about some of the foul ...

Order. Before I call the next speaker, may I remind Members that the Bill is quite narrow? Even t...

I shall do my best to focus on the content of the Bill. I must congratulate my hon. Friend the Me...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one way of keeping town centres vibrant and strong and, as she say...

That is exactly why I am discussing the value of town and village centres and their importance to...

I rise to support the Bill again today, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth...

It is my pleasure also to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (David Tredinnick) ...

My hon. Friend makes a good point about the different types of town in her constituency. Is not t...

Absolutely—I could not agree more.

Bury St Edmunds has a 6% retail occupancy rate, which, a...

I agree with the hon. Lady. I think there are still issues with the Bill. Does she