Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Bob Russell Excerpts
Thursday 24th November 2011

(12 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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The statistics to which the hon. Gentleman refers were put out by the Homes and Communities Agency on a date arranged some time ago, and it would have been wrong—it would have breached the code of practice on statistics—for any Minister to have referred to them on Monday.

Bob Russell Portrait Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD)
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Signs near motorway service stations read “Tiredness Kills. Take a Break”, yet parking companies are driving motorists back on to the motorways in contravention of those signs. Is it really the role of the state, through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, to assist private parking firms that are at the limits of legality? May we have a debate on the matter? Perhaps the Home Affairs Select Committee could also investigate these rogue parking companies.

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I understand my hon. Friend’s concern. I hope he recognises that those signs perform a useful purpose in promoting safety on motorways by encouraging people to take a break rather than carry on driving. If there were any unauthorised benefit from those signs of the type that my hon. Friend has described, I would of course be happy to take it up with the Secretary of State for Transport.