Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of motorists who have received invalid fines caused by malfunctioning equipment in private car parks in each of the last three years.

We have not made an estimate of the number of motorists who have received invalid fines caused by malfunctioning equipment in private car parks. However, this is an issue which the new Parking Code of Practice should help to address.

At present the private parking industry is self-regulating. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act, will lead to the creation of an independent Code of Practice for private parking companies and a “one-stop-shop” for private sector parking appeals.

The Code of Practice will create consistency for consumers, by having a single set of rules which applies across the private parking sector. It will ensure that the obligations for enforcement and appeal processes are fair, consistent, and proportionate. Those operators who do not meet the standards set out in the code of practice will not be able to access DVLA data and will be unable to pursue motorists for parking charges.

The Government is currently considering the content of the Code and what the obligations by private parking companies to motorists should be and will consult with stakeholders, including industry, motorists and consumer groups later this year.