Committee
Local Government and Regeneration Committee 02 April 2014
02 Apr 2014 · S4 · Local Government and Regeneration Committee
Item of business
Disabled Persons’ Parking Badges (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
Watch on SPTV
To set the bill in context, the blue badge scheme is an important parking concession that enables improved mobility, and therefore accessibility, for disabled people. We have around 245,000 badges in circulation in Scotland, and it is my intention to ensure that the scheme remains fit for that important purpose.In the past four years, Transport Scotland has been working closely with agencies and third sector groups to ensure that the scheme is easier to access and is used by those who are eligible, and that it is easier to enforce and more efficient to administer. The reforms that we have had so far have included clarifying the eligibility criteria, introducing independent mobility assessments undertaken by occupational therapists, redesigning the badge to make it harder to tamper with or to forge, and introducing a United Kingdom-wide database of badge holders, which should be fully populated by the end of 2014 and will allow up-to-date information to be held by local authorities.I support Dennis Robertson’s bill, which complements the recent reform programme, and Transport Scotland officials have been working with Dennis to develop the bill. Two multi-agency groups that include local authority staff and disability representative groups are also working with him to develop the important guidance and the content of the regulations to underpin the bill.Misuse of the badge is a problem. I receive complaints from the public about third parties’ misuse of the badge scheme, and recent Transport Scotland research, which interviewed around 800 blue badge holders, concluded that badge holders value the concessions that are provided by the blue badge, although the majority reported that they had experienced misuse of the badge.The bill responds to the views of blue badge holders by enhancing the existing powers that we have to enforce the scheme. It also helps to send out the message that blue badge misuse is socially unacceptable. The relevant provisions of the bill are strong preventive measures; those powers do not seek to catch more abusers, but rather to discourage and prevent abuse of the system in the first place, thereby saving time and money for enforcement agencies and, crucially, freeing up spaces to be used by blue badge holders.I am pleased that the bill will further strengthen the scheme by providing a process that will allow people who have been refused a blue badge on grounds of eligibility to request a review of that decision. That will provide a fairer and more consistent approach across the country.The bill is about on-street parking, as that is the area that the wider blue badge scheme legislation covers. However, I am aware of blue badge holders’ frustrations at misuse of disabled parking spaces in private car parks, such as those that are owned by large retailers. Members of the Scottish Retail Consortium are aware of the issues that disabled people face and some take action to encourage patrons to park sensibly. Although the Scottish Government has no jurisdiction to legislate in this area, I believe that Dennis Robertson’s bill will raise awareness and encourage private owners to emphasise that disabled parking bays should be left for those who need them.A need to raise awareness of the blue badge scheme came through strongly in the Transport Scotland research and Dennis Robertson’s consultation on the bill. I want to address that, and officials are working with multi-agency groups to identify how messages about the purpose and the dos and don’ts of the scheme get to badge holders, the public and those who are responsible for its enforcement. A substantial amount of guidance is already out there, but messages need to be distilled and simplified so that badge owners understand how their badges should be used. Enforcement officers must understand the sensitivities that are required when they carry out their duties and the general public must understand that misuse of badges is not a victimless crime.I will ensure that the changes resulting from the bill are publicised in advance of introduction of the powers. As I said, the bill is not about catching more abusers of the scheme; it is about making people think about proper use of the badge, making people aware of the consequences of misusing blue badge parking spaces and discouraging and preventing systematic abuse of the scheme. The clear aim is to send a strong message that abuse of the blue badge scheme will not be tolerated and to ensure that the rights of the blue badge holder to use the concession to access their work, leisure and support services are upheld.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Kevin Stewart)
SNP
Good morning and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2014 of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. Item 1 is an oral evidence session on the Disabled P...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
To set the bill in context, the blue badge scheme is an important parking concession that enables improved mobility, and therefore accessibility, for disable...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you, minister. Mr Robertson, do you want to make any opening remarks?
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
I will be brief, as the minister has given a fairly full and comprehensive opening statement.I reiterate that the bill’s aim is to improve and support enforc...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you very much. You said that blue badges were being misused on a grand scale. Some members were taken aback last week by the evidence of Gordon Catchlo...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
The evidence and our consultation show that blue badge holders are concerned about misuse. Sometimes the misuse is fraudulent and sometimes it is third party...
The Convener
SNP
The clerks have already spotted that, Mr Robertson. You are dead right.Do you have any comment on that point, minister?
Keith Brown
The 52 per cent figure is the same as the percentage of blue badge holders who believe that they have experienced abuse of the system. It is obviously a very...
Stuart McMillan (West Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
My question is for Dennis Robertson. Are you aware of any marked difference in the level of misuse between urban and rural communities?
Dennis Robertson
SNP
I think that the situation for blue badge holders who are trying to gain access to parking spaces is the same in urban and rural communities. However, it is ...
Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Good morning, panel. What do you think is the solution for reducing and eliminating fraudulent misuse of blue badges, given that it has been claimed that bet...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
Raising awareness is probably one of the solutions and I think that the bill will assist by introducing enforcement powers. However, much of it is about educ...
Keith Brown
I agree that awareness raising among the public is essential in eliminating the abuse of blue badges. In addition, the teeth in some of the bill’s provisions...
The Convener
SNP
At last week’s meeting, it was suggested that blue badge holders should sign for the booklet and the badge and say that they have read, or will read, the boo...
Sharon Grant (Transport Scotland)
The application form requires the person to sign a declaration that they will read the booklet and abide by the scheme’s rules. At the point of applying for ...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
The convener made a valid point about trying to ensure that the information is accessible to everyone in a format that is readily understood. Perhaps we coul...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you. On what Ms Grant said, if I applied for a blue badge and signed a declaration that I would abide by what the booklet says, by the time that I got ...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
Absolutely.
The Convener
SNP
It could be helpful if that was done when the badge and the booklet were received. Could that be looked at? I see nodding. Grand.
Alex Rowley (Cowdenbeath) (Lab)
Lab
Good morning. It has come across very clearly that there is widespread support for the bill. Nobody is jumping up and down and saying that it is a bad thing....
Keith Brown
Effecting that change is the whole purpose of the bill, and of previous reforms such as ensuring that the design of the blue badge is much less susceptible t...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that we widen the scope of the enforcement. At the moment, a parking attendant can look at a blue badge and say to the p...
Alex Rowley
Lab
Enforcement will be down to each local authority. A question was asked earlier about the difference between rural and urban communities. I assume that in aut...
Keith Brown
Yes. They still have the same powers as before. Of course, the bill extends those powers because it will create a new criminal act, which is not just misuse ...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson stated at last week’s meeting that the police would enforce the scheme and that they are committed to doing that. The ...
Cameron Buchanan (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I declare an interest in that I am a blue badge holder. First, I agree about the booklet being too large. It comes out before people get the blue badge. It i...
Keith Brown
Yes, it is the same across Scotland. It happens to be different elsewhere. You are right to say that we should ensure that people are aware that things might...
Cameron Buchanan
Con
It should be kept simple. I wonder whether the piece of paper could state, “These rules only apply to Scotland.” It would not be necessary to say what all th...
Jill Mulholland (Transport Scotland)
We have been working with the multi-agency group. We are considering having 10 top tips for blue badge holders to distil the information down. We have also h...
Cameron Buchanan
Con
The photograph is virtually meaningless—it is not seen. When someone else is driving me, for instance, it is not their photograph that is displayed, but mine...