Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of pavement parking on levels of social isolation.

The Department is fully aware that pavement parking can pose problems for pedestrians, particularly for people with sight or mobility impairments. Local authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking, but the Department has consulted on additional measures to help councils tackle this problem. The Department has not had recent discussions with Gateshead Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities.