§
Amendment made: In page 32, line 6, at the end, insert the words:
within whose jurisdiction the person aggrieved resides."—[The Lord Advocate.]
§ CLAUSE 35.—(Obligation on owners of motor vehicles to hold insurance policies or other security against third-party risks.)
§ Amendment made: In page 33, line 6, after the word "disqualified," insert the words "by virtue of a conviction."—[Mr. Herbert Morrison.]
§ Mr. REMERI beg to move, in page 33, line 25, to leave out the words "fifteen thousand," and to insert instead thereof the words, "seven thousand five hundred."
This Sub-section deals with the question of the deposit which has to be made by the owners of vehicles in regard to their insurance policies or other security against third-party risks. It is thought by the Motor Users' Association that the deposit of £15,000 would act rather harshly against people owning a very large number of vehicles, who are mostly responsible people. They employ many drivers, and the drivers would often be placed in an awkward position because in the change of driver from one wagon to another it would be difficult to have a different policy for every driver. In this Bill it is not merely the wagon, car or omnibus that is insured, but the driver of the vehicle. Therefore, when the driver is changed it would be very difficult for the owner of lorries and so forth to keep those lorries always fully covered. In the case of the larger concerns it would be more convenient for them to use the deposit for the purpose of keeping a general cover, but they think that to lock up a large sum like £15,000 would act rather harshly upon them, and they ask that the Government should be 714 prepared to accept a lower figure of £7,500.
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONI treated the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer) so handsomely during the Committee proceedings that I am afraid that he has no Amendments left that I can accept. We think that if a transport undertaking is to be allowed to contract out, a minimum sum of £15,000 should be provided. Some accidents can be exceedingly costly so far as compensation is concerned. You may have more than one accident in a week or even in a day, and we hold that the deposit must be a sum of substance, otherwise some injustice may arise. In view of the handsome way that I treated the hon. Member in Committee and the persuasive arguments that I am now addressing to him, I hope that he will see his way to withdraw the Amendment.
§ Mr. REMERIn view of the handsome way in which the Minister has approached the subject, although he has turned the Amendment down, and as I do not want to waste time, I ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Amendments made: In page 33, line 36, leave out from the word "county," to the first word "the" in line 38, and insert instead thereof the words "county borough or county district";
§
In line 38, after the word "London," insert the words:
and the council of any metropolitan borough;
§
In line 39, leave out the words:
of which any such council is a constituent authority,
and insert instead thereof the words:
which is so constituted as to include among its members representatives of any such council."—[Mr. Herbert Morrison.]
§ CLAUSE 36.—(Requirements in respect of policies.)
§ Amendments made: In page 34, line 10, leave out the words "otherwise than under contract."
§ In line 24, leave out the word "being."—[Mr. Herbert Morrison.]