Examination of Witnesses (Questions 60
- 63)
WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2004
MR BERT
MASSIE AND
MS CAROLINE
GOODING
Q60 Mr Berry: Could I ask about blue
badge enforcement, because you raise it in your submission to
the Committee and it is clearly an important issue. You make what
seems to me a perfectly sensible point, that it should be dealt
with in the Traffic Management Bill; it is a traffic management
issue. Certainly at second reading there was some doubt that the
Government was going to do that. Can you advise us of the latest?
Is it going to be a question of one government department saying,
"We will pass this over to the Disability Bill because it
is disability", and perhaps the DWP responding by saying
it is really traffic management. What is happening here? Everybody
agrees something should be done. What is the latest news from
the front-line on this?
Mr Massie: I suppose I should
say you should ask the department concerned.
Q61 Mr Berry: I will.
Mr Massie: But my understanding
is that you will get positive answers from both of them. I think
there is now a determination to do this. The Traffic Management
Bill makes sense because that is where the local authorities look
for the duties automatically; and it is astonishing to think,
with all the abuse of this scheme that a traffic warden or police
officer does not have the right to even inspect the badge. It
is remarkable. So if it slips up, then it will be longer before
we get this measure introduced. So this bill would also be a good
place for it but the Traffic Management Bill would be the logical
place for it and speedier.
Q62 Chairman: I think you have answered
the question I was going to ask about resources and enforcement.
Just to conclude, I think you told us all the things you think
that are missing from the bill that you would like to see. Is
there anything else that you would wish to tell us about the draft
bill?
Mr Massie: No, because we would
run out of time. That would take 2 hours and I know . . . What
I would say is that inevitably there are lots of things we would
like to add into the Bill, and we have discussed that. This is
a very positive bill, it is one I warmly welcomed at the beginning
of this session and I do so again and we do want to see it get
through the House. Even in its current form—which is far
from perfect—it is going to have a huge impact for disabled
people. So we wish you well in your deliberations at Streatham.
You are strengthening an already good Bill.
Q63 Chairman: As I say, after you
have read transcript, if there is anything else you wish to add
to it in writing, you are free to do so. We were anxious to have
you as our first witnesses because you have set the scene for
the work of the Committee very well indeed. Thank you very much.
Mr Massie: Thank you.
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