§ 18. Mr. Norman Doddsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made since 1st January, 1950, up to the last convenient date for driving offences whilst under the influence of drink; and in how many cases were sentences of imprisonment enforced.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir David Maxwell Fyfe)I will, with permission, circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DoddsIn view of the figures which have recently been given, does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman think it makes a mockery of the law and of those who are striving to reduce the dreadful toll of the roads that not more imprisonment sentences are imposed for these offences?
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThere is another Question dealing with this subject which, I hope, I shall answer in a short time.
§ Following are the figures:
| NUMBER OF OFFENCES DISPOSED OF | |||
| — | Magistrates' Courts | Higher Courts | |
| 1950 | First six months of 1951 | 1950 | |
| Prosecutions | 2,556 | 1,335 | 180 |
| Convictions | 2,261 | 1,288 | 95 |
| Sentences of imprisonment | 87 | 90 | 5 |
§ No figures for the higher courts are yet available for the first six months of 1951.
§ 19. Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the widespread concern at the leniency shown in cases of driving offences whilst under the influence of drink, and the need for more drastic sentences to deal with this type of offence.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 15th November to the hon. Member for Abertillery (Rev. Ll. Williams).
§ Mr. DoddsIs not the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that most people think that driving under the influence of drink is one of the worst offences, and does not he think there is an urgent need for more sentences of imprisonment instead of these small fines?
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeIn the answer to which I referred I said these words, if the House will forgive me repeating them:
The Lord Chief Justice, in a recent case before the Divisional Court, took the opportunity of calling the attention of magistrates to the fact that driving under the influence of drink was one of the worst offences which it was possible to commit."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 15th November, 1951; Vol. 493, c. 67.]Those are the words which the hon. Gentleman himself used just now, and I have no doubt that courts will pay a proper attention to this advice. But I must say, as I have said in other matters, that I have no powers to direct courts, nor will I be a party to the Executive influencing courts who must deal with each case according to the facts.
§ Mr. SpeakerMr. Dodds.
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonOn a point of order. Is the House to understand, Mr. Speaker, that in the exercise of your judgment you are not permitting any supplementary questions except from the hon. Member who puts down the Question?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am afraid it is an absolute discretion which I try to exercise as fairly as I can.
§ Mr. NicholsonI am not for one second questioning your right of discretion, Mr. Speaker, but I notice that today you have only been calling for supplementaries from those who asked the Questions, which rather excludes other hon. Members from seeking information.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am not bound to give any reason for what I do, but I would say to hon. Members that on this difficult matter I think the hon. Member who takes the trouble to put down a Question is entitled, if he can, to get an answer from the Minister and to get in a supplementary question. Every supplementary question asked by a Member who has not put his name to a Question does postpone the right of other hon. Members to get an answer to their Questions.