The Prime Minister has agreed to look at the contents of a Bill, which aims to prevent deaths from multi-storey car parks, being proposed by a Sefton MP.
It follows a campaign launched in 2023 by Liverpool dad Johnny Santer calling for higher railings, after his 15-year-old son Gabe died after falling from the roof of a city centre car park three years earlier.
The Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill, to be known as Gabe’s Law, was reintroduced to parliament last week by Peter Dowd MP, who says there have been similar tragic cases in his Bootle constituency.
The Bill calls for an increase to the legal minimum height of barriers throughout multi-storey car parks, currently 1.1m, and 24-hour security.
Peter Dowd MP said:
“This is an issue which needs urgent action and I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to look at the contents of my Bill and specifically to conduct a call for evidence on building regulation Part K which looks at minimum guarding heights.
“By reintroducing the Bill and highlighting it during PMQ’s, I hope it will encourage colleagues across the House and members of the public to let me know of other similar cases.”
Johnny Santer said:
“I’m grateful to Peter for highlighting this important issue and his commitment to help bring about a change in the law.
“These are preventable deaths and since I launched my campaign there have been other tragedies where people have fallen from car parks including in Liverpool, five years after Gabe’s death.”
Johnny is meeting Building Safety Minister, Alex Norris MP next week as the new law would require a change in building regulations.
For more information follow Gabe’s Law on X, Instagram or Facebook @Gabes_law or visit www.gabeslaw.org to join the campaign.
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