Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adherence of local authorities to the requirement of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 that profits from off-street car parking may not be transferred to their general fund.

Financial provisions relating to the income and expenditure of local authorities in connection with parking are stipulated in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Subsection 4 of section 55 specifies the purposes for the application of any surplus income from parking. This includes making good any deficit charged to the general fund in the preceding four financial years.

In line with the Local Authority Transparency Code, local authorities should each year publish their costs and profits relating to their parking management, allowing the public to hold councils to account. Parking is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is for them to determine what is best for their own area.

Off-street parking and all matters relating to it are the responsibility of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.