asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much money was spent on parking fines incurred by vehicles belonging to the Department for Transport and its subsidiary agencies in each of the past three years. [HL4603]

The Department for Transport and its agencies maintain the policy that all road traffic violations such as parking tickets remain the responsibility of the individual, and are not reimbursable from public resources.

The main exception to this is the Government Car and Despatch Agency which pays parking fines incurred operationally in circumstances where the overriding security requirements of high-profile passengers or secure or sensitive documents necessarily dictate the choice of parking location. The agency spent £7,540 on such fines in 2006, £11,928.16 in 2007, and £13,930 in 2008.

In addition, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency will pay parking fines under exceptional circumstances such as court appearances. The agency spent £122.14 on such fines in 2006, and £75.00 in 2008.