Communities secretary Michael Gove has been accused of ‘treading on the Department for Transport’s toes’ after writing to councils about cash use in car parks.

In a letter sent to every local authority in England, Mr Gove said he was concerned about the elderly and vulnerable being excluded if traditional pay and display machines that use cash were scrapped, adding that it would not be appropriate for high street parking to be ‘solely available for those who have access to a mobile phone’.