§ 77. Sir C. CAYZERasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to collect the different convictions of motorists charged with not renewing their motor licences from forgetfulness, with the object of reaching a common policy to be recommended to the different benches of magistrates in dealing with such cases, more especially in view of the fact that in some cases motorists have been suspended for a period of 12 months, thus losing their livelihood altogether?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Short)No, Sir. It is for courts to determine what sentence or order, within the limit allowed by law, is appropriate.
§ Sir C. CAYZERDoes not the hon. Gentleman consider it a travesty of justice to deprive a man of his licence, and in some cases of his livelihood, for such a trivial cause; and can he not issue instructions to all benches of magistrates pointing out that they have a considerable discretion in such cases?
§ Mr. SHORTAs to the first part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, the matter is purely one of opinion. As to the second part, I have already answered it.
§ 80. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Minister of Transport whether, seeing that if a driver of a motor-car forgets by one day to renew his driving licence he becomes an uninsured person and liable to fines amounting to £70, three months' imprisonment, and to have his licence taken away for 12 months, he will urge, instead of discouraging, all county councils to send out reminders to drivers a fortnight before their licence expires?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Herbert Morrison)I cannot adopt the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion that councils should be urged to issue reminders of expiry of motor driving licences, as I do not think the advantages obtained by such a system would justify the expense and work involved. As stated in the answer to a question by the hon. and gallant Member on the 4th May, I am in consultation with the representatives of motor insurance interests as regards the particular class of case out of which the hon. and gallant Member's question arises, with a view to overcoming the difficulty more effectively than by means of reminders.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is becoming a very serious offence now to forget to take out a driving licence, though it was not so before; and would not he urge all county councils, as it is a very simple matter, to send reminders, as some of them do already?
§ Mr. MORRISONI have gone further than that; I have laid it down that I will not let them do it. Hon. Members, really, are trying to raise to a virtue forgetting to renew a driving licence, and they are undermining the British character by the way in which they are going on.
§ Sir WILLIAM MITCHELL-THOMSONWould the right hon. Gentleman consult his colleagues, the Postmaster-General, and ascertain whether it is not the fact that wireless licences, which are much more in number than motor driving licences, are renewed each year upon reminders sent from the Post Office?
§ Mr. MORRISONUnlicensed motor drivers are a much more serious question than unlicensed wireless sets.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs not that all the more reason why they should have a reminder?
§ Sir W. BRASSHas the right hon. Gentleman calculated how much it would cost the local authorities to do this, as in the case of all these other licences?
§ Mr. MORRISONYes, Sir; these matters have all been gone into fully; and on grounds of administration and on grounds of cost I do not propose to do it, but still more on the ground that I do not wish to encourage licence-holders to feel that there is no great responsibility upon them to remember.
§ Mr. MUGGERIDGEIs it the practice of railway companies to inform their season ticket holders when a season ticket expires?
§ Mr. MORRISONNot with me.
§ Mr. MUGGERIDGENor with me