Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the sector’s single Code of Practice in preventing Parking Charge Notices being issued to motorists who have complied with parking requirements; what steps her Department is taking to ensure private parking operators cancel charges where the motorist has complied with the parking terms; whether the Code will include sanctions for operators who repeatedly issue Parking Charge Notices in such circumstances; and what her timetable is for introducing a statutory code with an independent appeals service and enforceable sanctions.

Since the introduction of the Sector Single Code in 2024, the Government has continued to receive evidence of poor practice. The consistency of concerns raised by motorists, representative groups and regulators suggests these issues are not limited to isolated cases. This underlines the need for statutory standards, stronger oversight and improved data collection which the Government is taking action to address through a new Code of Practice.

Alongside the Code, the Government is introducing a Certification Scheme approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. Once implemented, the Certification Scheme will provide independent assurance of individual operator compliance. Operators that fail to meet the Code’s requirements may ultimately lose access to DVLA vehicle keeper data and, in turn, their ability to pursue parking charges.

The Government laid the Code before Parliament on 20 October 2026 and in parallel published its response to its private parking consultation last year. The Government Response contains more details on the plans for enforcement and appeals.