Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to encourage local authorities to improve the approval rate of blue badge applications for people with hidden disabilities.

The Department for Transport is responsible for the legislative and policy framework of the Blue Badge Scheme. It has also has issued clear non-statutory guidance to local authorities in England on how to administer the scheme.

Day to day administration is the responsibility of individual local authorities. Local authorities must determine and implement assessment procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation.