Meeting of the Parliament 01 March 2016
I am delighted to hear that from Cameron Buchanan. I was given the impression that the Conservatives would not support the bill. I come from Renfrewshire, and if the member thought that that was a vicious personal attack, I would have to say that the politics in Renfrewshire are a wee bit rougher than that. I mean that in all positivity.
Kevin Stewart covered issues of definition, as I would expect from the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. George Adam covered the personal experience of supporting his wife in her wheelchair, and the frustration of other people who assume that they have right of way.
John Wilson was right on the purpose of clarity and definition. We must get the legislation right so that what is enforceable is easily understood and so that the public know where they can and cannot, or should and should not, park. There is an issue about consistency, definition and clarity. Ken Macintosh was right about local opinion, consultation and taking people with us on what works at the most local level. Any legislation will be about localism, and it must provide the required clarity.
Lesley Brennan very helpfully pointed out one anomaly, of which there are many, in the complex legislation—it is illegal to drive on the footway, but some would say that it is okay and competent to park on it. How would one get there to park if not by driving on the footway? Tightening up and refining the legislation will make the difference, which is why the Government has committed to embark on a consultation, which will ensure that we can cover as many as possible of the issues that have been raised.
Ken Macintosh also touched on planning and policy and, indeed, on cultural aspects of the policy. He was absolutely right to do that. As we look at the complete issue, we see that there is a balancing act between accessibility and the local need for parking provision. As transport minister, with a clear focus on roads and safety, I should say that I am concerned about the statistics on more vulnerable road users. Accessibility and safety must be paramount among the competing priorities in the balancing act.
We need a mixture of common sense and enforceability. The evidence is that parking legislation is more effective where there is decriminalised parking enforcement. Decriminalised parking has been introduced in a number of local authorities, including Aberdeen, Argyll and Bute, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. A number of other councils are going through the necessary legislation to decriminalise parking enforcement. That leaves a number that will have to move towards that, to reach the consistency that many members talked about.