Meeting of the Parliament 19 August 2014
As a member of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee, I have had ample opportunity to consider in detail the proposals in the bill and the subsequent amendments to it. I would once again like to thank Dennis Robertson for bringing this important issue to the attention of the Scottish Parliament, and I commend his efforts in raising awareness of the damaging consequences of the misuse of our blue badge scheme. I reiterate that I support his member’s bill and I acknowledge that it is likely to deliver a reduction in disabled parking badge fraud. I am hopeful that that will lead to an increase in the number of parking spaces that are available to genuinely disabled people, and that that will, as a consequence, improve the quality of life of those who suffer mobility issues.
Local authorities face a significant problem in distinguishing between genuine and fraudulent badge holders. I have learned through the evidence that the Local Government and Regeneration Committee gathered through the progress of the bill that nearly 80 per cent of blue badge holders have directly experienced abuse of the system. The bill has the potential to reduce substantially the inconvenience that that causes disabled drivers.
My support for the bill arises from the conviction that those who are entitled to a blue badge should be able to access disabled parking bays when they need to. The availability of accessible spaces should never be compromised by the self-interest of those who use blue badges for convenience alone.
I believe strongly that the Scottish Government should seek to work with key stakeholders, including local authorities, to ensure that the bill is implemented consistently across the country and does not cause unnecessary confusion among genuine badge holders. I continue to believe that badge holders should be provided with comprehensive and accessible information on how their badges can be used. That would provide reassurance that disabled people who inadvertently misuse their badges are not penalised by the provisions of the bill.
I acknowledge Inclusion Scotland’s concerns that a disabled person or a carer may be criminalised when they inadvertently use a badge that has been cancelled—for example, if it has been reported lost, and has subsequently been found before the replacement has been issued. I am therefore grateful for recent assurances that no action will be taken against individuals in those circumstances. I am confident that that commonsense approach will be maintained after the bill’s implementation, and I anticipate that genuine badge holders will benefit from the policy.
Local authorities should be fully resourced to implement the bill’s provisions, including both the enforcement and review elements of the blue badge application process. I would be concerned if local authorities were tasked with implementing the new assessment and enforcement provisions without the appropriate level of funding to allow council officers to carry out their duties effectively.
Notwithstanding that concern, I am delighted to confirm my support for the bill, and I look forward to my disabled constituents receiving the benefit of an increased number of accessible parking spaces across their city. I thank Dennis Robertson and the Scottish Government civil servants for their hard work, at every stage, in bringing the bill to Parliament.
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