Yes, thank you, Dawn. I fully appreciate that, but we are talking about people who are casual shoppers most of the time, and they would not be wanting to get one of these monthly tickets.

The increases in Newport beggars belief, given that the town has lost out to Cwmbran town centre, which has offered free parking for many years, and resulting in Newport, as Asghar has already pointed out, having the highest shop vacancy figure of any town in Wales. And returning to Carmarthen, when the parking meters were vandalised, resulting in a two-week absence of parking fees, retailers in the town reported an increase of between 15 and 25 per cent in sales. Parking fees are being reinstated in full by Carmarthenshire County Council.

Some councils attempt to legitimise this tax by pointing to upkeep costs for car parks—one even suggesting that it costs them £145 per parking space per year. Well, personally I’ve not come across one of what must be a gold-plated parking space. Whilst we realise that parking fees are the responsibility of local authorities, there are many ways the Welsh Government can use to—well, let’s put it as mildly as possible—encourage those authorities to review their car park policies. I urge the Welsh Government to look again at what it can do to take away this blight on the high street business. Thank you.