To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what powers the Secretary of State has to (a) suspend and (b) revoke the civil parking enforcement powers exercised by a local authority; and what criteria he uses to determine whether it is appropriate to exercise such powers. (320958)

The Secretary of State has the power to revoke a Statutory Instrument that designates the whole or part of a local authority's area as a civil enforcement area for parking contraventions on the application of that authority. Each application would be considered on its merits. There is no power to suspend such an instrument.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he takes to assess the performance of local authorities in respect of civil parking enforcement. (320959)

We have no plans to carry out such assessments. Councillors are accountable to the electorate, rather than to the Government, for the performance of their local authority. The Government's longer term vision for local government involves councils reporting less to central Government and more to their local communities.