27. Mr. G. Wilsonasked the Minister of Transport the total number of C licences issued at the most recent convenient date; how many of such licences relate to trailers drawn by tractors for which a separate C licence is issued; vehicles carrying goods or produce from one section of a commercial undertaking to another without going upon the highway; or vehicles of less than 30 hundredweights unladen weight, respectively.
§ Mr. BarnesAt 31st March, 1951, there were 385,001 C carriers' licenses in force covering 747,898 mechanically propelled road vehicles, of which 410,266 did not exceed 30 cwt. unladen weight. No record is available of the number of trailers authorised under C licences, and no trailers are included in the figures I have just given. No carrier's licence is required for a vehicle which is not used on the roads.
Mr. WilsonCan the Minister further break down the figures with regard to C licences? He will no doubt appreciate the point of the Question, that we are trying to arrive at the actual number of C licences issued for road haulage?
§ Mr. BarnesI would remind the hon. Member that quite recently considerable steps were taken for the purpose of compiling these statistics. I should not like to incur any further expense at the moment.