Private Car Parks

Opened the debate

Caroline Nokes highlighted the case of her constituent, Mr Guy Hindle, who was bullied by a succession of organisations over a period of some 20 months for a six-minute parking violation. She argued that this is indicative of sharp practices in private parking services and drew attention to the need for better regulation and protection for drivers. Nokes emphasised the importance of a single code of practice for private parking, as well as the introduction of a mandatory 10-minute grace period for all private car parks, which would allow drivers to make informed choices about where they wish to park.

Government Response

Minister Simon Clarke thanked Caroline Nokes for raising the issue and acknowledged the cross-party support for regulating the private parking industry. He outlined steps taken by the Government, including the creation of an independent code of practice for private parking companies and a one-stop shop for parking appeals under the Parking (Code Of Practice) Act 2019. Clarke assured that work with the British Standards Institution had commenced to develop the draft code, which would be subject to public consultation before finalization this year. He also addressed issues such as debt collection practices and unfair ticketing from automatic number plate recognition technology. Clarke emphasised the Government's commitment to progress at pace while ensuring regulations were robust, and he thanked Nokes for her persistence in addressing this issue.