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18 Jan 2007 : Column 380WH—continued
4.42 pm
Mrs. Dunwoody: I am grateful to you and to right hon. and hon. Members for allowing me to address the Chamber again, Mr. Benton. The Committee’s report is a good one, and the evidence that we took was widely based. There was clear agreement about the need to sort out the differences among the various parking schemes, so that the general public not only understand what they are expected to do, but support it. When people have clear and defensible lines, there will inevitably be total support, because people will understand the direct connection between the behaviour of the individual motorist and how they park their car, and the movement of traffic and goods in towns.
The argument that my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer) made about localism versus centralised control will continue for a long time. The Committee understood his strong and sensible commitment towards complete local decision making, although we were concerned about the evidence of the local involvement creating a degree of individuality between various schemes. I believe that the Government are committed to trying to sort out the various systems, which have grown like Topsy and need to be organised slightly more intelligently.
Finally, the House of Commons, because of its commitment to the highly complex and more high-falutin’ realms of legal debate, sometimes seems not to focus on the affairs that concern most of our constituents. Parking concerns them all, almost without exception, whether they have cars or not. Our constituents live with the issue every day and we must get it right. I am delighted that my Committee spent so much time and produced so many sensible agreements. I am also happy that my hon. Friend the Minister has been so gracious today, as she always is. She will understand when I say that, as a Committee, we will be sitting quietly behind her, keeping an eye on what happens in the future. I am also grateful for your kind, considerate and very professional chairing of our sitting this afternoon, Mr. Benton.
Adjourned accordingly at fifteen minutes to Five o’clock.
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