Inquiry5

The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee undertook an inquiry into the Blue Badge Scheme in Wales: Eligibility and Implementation.

Terms of reference

The Committee’s terms of reference were to consider:

• The impact of extending the eligibility criteria for a Blue Badge in Wales, and whether further extensions to the criteria are needed;
• The practical implementation and consistency of the Blue Badge scheme across Wales, including assessments, fees and enforcement, and
• The support and information that is available to Blue Badge applicants in Wales.

Evidence Gathering
The Committee held a number of evidence sessions to inform the work of the Committee, which can be viewed in the table below. Additionally, the Committee consulted on this topic.

Report

The Committee published its report on the Blue Badge Scheme in Wales: Eligibility and Implementation (PDF, 686KB) on Monday 8 July.

On publication of the report, John Griffiths AM, Chair of the Committee said:

“Differing arrangements across the 22 councils have led to inconsistencies in implementation across Wales. Addressing this should be a priority for Welsh Government and local authorities so that everyone may receive a quality service, regardless of where they live. The system must be fit for purpose given its importance to our communities.”

A shorter Spark report can be read here.

The Government published its response (PDF, 244KB) and an additional response (PDF, 181KB) on 9 October 2019.

A debate on the report was held in Plenary on Wednesday 16 October 2019.