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Blue Badge Scheme

Volume 482: debated on Tuesday 4 November 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce abuse of blue badges for disabled parking. (232226)

In October 2007 we introduced legislation to change the design of the badge to include an anti-fraud hologram and a new serial number to help prevent fraud and aid enforcement.

In January 2008 we revised local authority guidance to improve administrative consistency and enforcement and launched a £0.5 million local authorities centres of excellence fund, designed to promote good practice in administering and enforcing the scheme.

In March 2008 we began a pilot experiment of new tamper proof laminates designed to further enhance badge security.

Most recently, on 20 October 2008, the Department for Transport published a Comprehensive Blue Badge (Disabled Parking) Reform Strategy. This strategy contains a number of commitments to fight fraud and abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme.