Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statistics provided in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 showing that the London Borough of Merton did not comply with 87 per cent of the decisions by independent adjudicators regarding the issuing of parking penalty fines, what assessment they have made of (1) the value for money of, and (2) the efficacy of, independent adjudicators who consider and make recommendations on such fines.

No such assessment has been made. The adjudication services are not administered by central Government. However there is a distinction between recommendations, which do not have to be followed by authorities, and adjudicators’ directions following successful appeals, which must be complied with in law.