Question
I recently met a resident in my constituency who is blind and relies on an assistance dog to get about in his local area of Nazeing. One of the biggest challenges we face across Harlow is the problem of pavement parking and how that affects people who are partially sighted. What conversations has the Minister had with the Department for Transport to tackle pavement parking to make it easier for those who are partially sighted or blind to get around?
Answer
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. There are serious concerns for people who are partially sighted or have a sight impairment. I am in conversation on that and hope we can make some progress.25% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (28/100)
The reply acknowledges the impact on partially sighted people and says the minister is in discussions with the relevant department. It gives no detail on what those discussions involve, what has been proposed, or where they stand, so the question is only partly answered in general terms. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for specifics before they could judge what action is being taken.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the nature of the department's engagement with the Department for Transport on tackling pavement parking, including its effect on partially sighted and blind people getting around? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply acknowledges the effect on partially sighted people and states that the minister is 'in conversation' with the relevant department, which gives the general nature of the engagement. However, it says nothing concrete about what those discussions involve, what has been proposed, or where they stand, and the closing 'hope we can make some progress' is a platitude. |