Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the cost to the public purse of damage to pavements caused by pavement parking in each of the last five years.

The Department is fully aware that pavement parking can pose problems for all pedestrians, including from damage to pavements. Local authorities are responsible for pavement maintenance and already have powers to tackle pavement parking by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders. The Department has consulted on further options to help local authorities outside London tackle this issue and will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. Any new measures will be accompanied by an impact assessment, which will include an estimate of the cost of damage to pavements caused by pavement parking.