Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - Proposed Disabled Persons Parking (Scotland) Bill
6. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the disabled persons parking (Scotland) bill. (S3O-857)
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson): I understand that a final bill will be introduced in Parliament later this year. We will reach a view at that stage.
Jackie Baillie: The minister will be aware of the very real problem caused to disabled people by the abuse of disabled parking bays; indeed, that much is clear from the Government's own research, which was published just last week. It is equally clear that the current legislation is not fit for purpose. Will the minister tell the chamber why the Scottish Government has declared its support for the proposed sunbed licensing bill, which has yet to be published, and the tartan register, which is not even before the chamber—both worthy proposals, I am sure—but remains silent on improving the lives of disabled people in Scotland?
Stewart Stevenson: I think that I can say without ambiguity that we certainly support what Ms Baillie's proposed bill seeks to achieve. However, we need to see whether the material in the bill delivers.
In the meantime, we are engaged on this subject. I have written to Councillor Pat Watters of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to remind him of local authority powers to promote orders to protect the parking spaces in question, and I await his reply. We are as committed as Ms Baillie is to supporting people with blue badges and ensuring that they are able to park wherever they require.
