Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to ensure that the revenue needs of acute hospital foundation trusts are met when a trust removes or reduces parking charges.

The National Health Service patient, visitor and staff car parking principles published on 23 August 2014 allow patients and the public to hold the NHS locally to account where unfair parking charges and practices remain in place.

Decisions on hospital car parking based on these principles, including charging, are taken locally by both NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts. Each type of trust will continue to take car parking income and costs into account as part of their service provision and financial planning.