§ 19. Sir W. BRASSasked the Minister of Transport whether he has consulted any motoring organisations as to the advisability or not of experimenting with silence zones over the whole 24 hours before he came to his decision to give favourable consideration to applications from local authorities on this matter?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAIt is not my practice to consult motoring organisations before answering questions in the House of Commons although I am always glad to have their suggestions and observa 333 tions. I would point out that of the 250,000 persons killed and injured on the roads in the course of a year only a very small percentage of the victims are motor drivers. There is therefore a very large volume of other opinion to be considered. I can only repeat that If any responsible local authority makes an application on behalf of its citizens as a whole for an experimental extension of the silence zone or for the trial of any other experimental safety measure it cannot but receive my favourable consideration.
§ Sir W. BRASSIs it a fact not only that the Minister did not ask any motoring organisation but that he did not ask the Road Traffic Advisory Committee or the committee which was set up to advise him, and that he has acted entirely on his own?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI do not understand the position in which my hon. and gallant Friend is desirous of placing me. I was asked a question by an hon. Friend of mine in this House, and given two days' notice, whether I would favourably consider an application by a local authority. I fail to see why I should consult anybody before saying that I will favourably consider it.
Lieut.-Colonel SANDEMAN ALLENBefore considering this matter, will the Minister consider the fact that at night time the silence zone is all right because there are lamps which indicate the coming of the car, but in daylight they do not give any indication at all?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI will certainly consider that, and I am obliged for the suggestion. I may perhaps recall to the House that on the institution of the original silence zone I was advised against it by every motoring organisation in the country, except one, but they now unanimously approve it.
§ 20. Sir W. BRASSasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of his intention to give favourable consideration to applications from local authorities for silence zones over the whole 24 hours, he will inform the House what form of sign he proposes to have placed on the roads in the silence zone areas, and at what intervals they will be erected in order to make quite certain that drivers when in the areas shall know that the sounding of a horn is forbidden?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI do not propose to authorise the use of any signs for this purpose.
§ Sir W. BRASSHow does the hon. Member think that any driver going through one of these zones will understand that he is not allowed to blow his horn when somebody steps off the pavement? Will he give an assurance that he will not bring in these regulations, as he has brought others in, under the Rules Publication Act, 1893, where he stresses urgency?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAWith regard to the first part of the question perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will recall that when the silence zone was originally instituted it was instituted within a radius of five miles of Charing Cross. No signs were considered necessary because the motorist understood that if he was in any doubt on the matter he could give the benefit of the doubt to the public and not sound his horn. Here, we are only dealing with the hypothetical case of a particular locality of a well-defined town, asking for the silence zone to be extended within its borders, for an experimental period. I do not consider that the authorisation of signs is necessary for this particular purpose. In regard to the second part of the question, I never make orders or regulations except within the terms of the powers conferred upon me by Parliament, and upon the legal advice of the Counsel placed at my disposal.
§ Sir W. BRASSDoes my hon. Friend realise that there is a great deal of difference between a silence zone at night and a silence zone in the day time?
§ 26. Sir W. BRASSasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of his intention to give favourable consideration to applications from local authorities for silence zones over the whole 24 hours, he proposes to alter or revoke Regulation No. 72 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1931, by which the driver of every motor vehicle is required to give audible and sufficient warning of the approach or position of his vehicle?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAIf it be decided to extend the period of the prohibition of hooting either generally or in par 335 ticular areas, it will obviously be necessary to amend the regulation referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSIs the Minister of Transport aware that if these regulations come into operation a motorist may be fined in one area for hooting and in another for not hooting?
§ Sir W. BRASSIs my hon. Friend aware that the first question asked by any insurance company is whether the driver blew his horn before the accident occurred?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI am aware of that. But I would ask the hon. and gallant Member to realise that we are faced with a very grave problem in the number of road accidents, and, if by any experiment whatever, we can diminish them, it is our duty to do so.
§ Sir W. BRASSrose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think I am becoming in favour of silence zones.