Frequently asked questions
Updated 24 August 2023
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/private-parking-code-of-practice-call-for-evidence/frequently-asked-questions
Is there an opportunity to extend the 8 October deadline?
As a gesture of goodwill, we extended the call for evidence deadline from 24 September to 8 October. We have carefully considered whether it is feasible to extend the call for evidence even further and considered the benefits that such an extension might bring.
Granting such an extension would add delays to the programme that run counter to the oft-expressed view on all sides that the Code should be implemented as quickly as it can be, whilst we do not consider that an extension would significantly improve the volume nor quality of evidence that will be submitted.
When will the consultation happen and the Code of Practice be implemented?
We cannot give specific timeframes for these steps. Precise timelines following the call for evidence closing on 8 October will depend heavily on how much evidence we receive and how much work is needed to complete a final impact assessment, which we are planning to do before launching the public consultation.
Your draft impact assessment mentions the 5 largest private parking operators via Companies House – what companies are those?
The 5 are (in alphabetical order):
- CP Plus Limited
- ParkingEye
- Premier Park Limited
- Q-Park Limited
- UK Car Park Management
Your draft impact assessment mentions 24 companies providing profit data via Companies House – what companies are those?
These companies are (in alphabetical order):
- ABM Facilities Services UK Ltd
- AGH Solutions Ltd
- APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd
- BaySentry Solutions Ltd
- Britannia Parking Group Ltd trading as Britannia Parking Group/ Britannia Parking/ Britannia Parking Services/ Brit Park
- CP Plus Limited trading as Group Nexus
- East Midlands Trains Limited
- EQUANS Services Ltd
- Euro Car Parks Limited
- Euro Parking Collection Plc
- Excel Parking Services Ltd
- Horizon Parking Limited
- Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions Ltd
- NSL Limited
- OCS Group (UK) Limited trading as Legion Group
- Park & Control (UK) Ltd
- ParkingEye also trading as Car Parking Partnership
- Premier Park Ltd
- Q-Park Limited
- Ranger Services Ltd
- Saba Park Solutions UK Limited and Saba Park Services UK Limited
- Smart Parking Ltd
- UK Car Park Management Ltd
- UK Parking Control Limited
Will commercially sensitive information submitted be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act?
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) we might be asked to release the data that you have provided to us under a Freedom of Information request. Any individual has the right to request recorded information which is held by a public authority under the FOIA. The FOIA contains various exemptions and exclusions from the right of access to information that ensure a proper balance is achieved between the right to know, the right to personal privacy, the delivery of effective government, and other important private interests such as protection of commercial interests, and information provided in confidence.
Whilst the Department handles FOIA requests on a case-by-case basis, we shall consider engaging the relevant exemption(s) in the Act to withhold any information that may be commercially sensitive and/or where to release such information would be a breach of confidence.
If you want your response to be considered as commercially sensitive or as having been provided in confidence, please mark it as such but we cannot give assurance that the exemption(s) in the FOIA can be utilised in all circumstances.
Data that you tell us is commercially sensitive and provided in confidence will be stored securely and deleted once no longer required. All reports containing such data will be reported only in aggregate, anonymous form.
Why are you asking about profitability?
This call for evidence is intended to help ensure that decisions taken on parking charges and debt recovery fees are as well informed as they can be. To do this, the call for evidence aims to strengthen the evidence underpinning the draft impact assessment where possible.
The purpose of asking for profitability data is to support the assessment of the impacts of each of the policy options on the industry as a whole and on particular types of organisation, in particular small businesses. This data will allow us to have as clear as possible a picture of what the different options would mean for different types of business, helping to make the consultation and decisions as well informed as they can be.
Is there a size limit on submissions to the call for evidence?
The file size of email submissions should not be a problem for the government, although mailbox limits may be a consideration for people submitting evidence. We will accept responses across multiple emails if that helps to overcome size limit issues you may have.