HC Deb 15 July 1936 vol 314 cc2044-6
63. Mr. THORNE

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can give the House any information in connection with the four Manchester firms that were sum-money for offences under the Road Traffic Act; and whether he can state what were the charges in each case and the fines imposed?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

I am informed that all the prosecutions in Manchester on 8th July to which the hon. Member apparently refers were on charges of permitting drivers to drive for hours in excess of those allowed by Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. The number of offences alleged against the different firms and the penalties imposed were as follow:

(1) 14 charges; fine £7; £3 10s. 6d. costs.

(2) 9 charges; fine £4 10s.; £3 10s. 6d. costs.

(3) 15 charges; fine £7 10s.; £3 10s. 6d. costs.

(4) 4 charges; fine £2; £3 10s. 6d. costs.

Seven charges were withdrawn on payment of 28s. costs.

Mr. THORNE

Is this not another case where your commissioners have to find out this information, owing to the fact that the men working for the firms in question are afraid to give the information to the commissioners?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

The hon. Gentleman puts these questions every week, which shows the activity of the authorities in prosecuting. In that North-Western area the Traffic Commissioners are undertaking between 20 and 30 prosecutions every week.

Mr. THORNE

I quite agree, but my point is that the men working for the firms are afraid to give the information and your commissioners have to dig it out themselves?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

Yes, I admitted before that it is the case that there is reluctance to give evidence, but despite that reluctance, the authorities are so active that they prosecute in a large number of cases.

Mr. BENJAMIN SMITH

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider increasing the number of commissioners and specially allocating them to watching the interests of the 400,000 vehicles that come within the terms of that Act? The numbers, I believe, are only hundreds, and they have passenger as well as goods vehicles to cover. This is very rife, and will the right hon. Gentleman consider increasing that number?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

I am considering it at the present moment.

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