YOUR recent coverage of my Parliamentary question which revealed that over £1 billion a year is raised in parking charges did not quite tell the full story (Diary, June 21).

As you will be aware, the motorist's perception is that private parking contractors are driven by revenue targets and this makes them "over-enthusiastic" when it comes to issuing tickets.

This is what I am expecting Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to look at.

I have asked him specifically to "address the concerns surrounding the use of private contractors".

I am more than pleased, therefore, that Coun Steve Galloway has been able to confirm that in York, at least, no private parking contractors are employed by the council and no revenue targets are used by the council's enforcement team.

Coun Galloway has invited me to visit York which was awarded the coveted "transport authority of the year" award in 2003.

I have accepted his invitation and look forward to finding out what York has to offer in the way of transport innovation.

I know I shall be pleasantly surprised.

Tom Brake MP,

Liberal Democrat shadow

secretary of state for

transport, Nightingale Road,

Carshalton,

Surrey.

Updated: 10:58 Friday, July 01, 2005