Sir.-I write in reference to disabled car parking badges.

It is my understanding that, in the change from orange to the blue badge in 2000, only three per cent of the population received these in the borough of Basingstoke and Deane.

Disabled people make up, on average, 10 per cent of the population.

Hampshire County Council has, as of the present time, no statistics available regarding the overall number of disabled parking spaces.

These may well be increased to compensate for the shortfall but the legislation soon to be enacted by Parliament may make little or no difference to the current differences of opinion on this subject.

-John Fuge, Ballard Close, South Ham, Basingstoke.