HC Deb 09 February 1955 vol 536 cc1880-1
58. Mr. Ernest Davies

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of officers employed by his Department full-time on enforcement work in connection with the licensing procedure laid down by the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933; and the comparable number so employed in 1938.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Fifty-seven officers of my Department are engaged full-time on enforcement duties in connection with the licensing procedure laid down by the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933. During the week ended 29th January, 1955, there were also 13 driving and traffic examiners engaged on these duties. On 30th September, 1938, the number of enforcement staff was 75.

Mr. Davies

In view of the fact that the number of full-time staff has decreased since 1938 and evasion is known to have increased in recent months since denationalisation, is the Minister satisfied that there are sufficient full-time officers to cope with the large amount of evasion which takes place?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Without necessarily accepting the implication in that question, I propose to arrange that as the larger number of driving examiners, whose recruitment has already been announced, comes in, some of them will be employed from time to time on these duties.

Mr. Davies

How does the Minister reconcile his earlier statement that he was not aware of an increase in evasion with the admission of the need to increase the number of enforcement officers?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I am certainly not admitting that there is an increase in evasion but am paying this deference to the hon. Member's supplementary question: that the inspectorate should be maintained at an adequate level.

Mr. Lindgren

Is the Minister aware that some of us who are associated with service on petty sessional courts are alarmed at the increase in the number of cases arising from evasion which come before those courts, and that these cases arise from accidents? Is it not time that we dealt with the evasions prior to accidents, so that we can deal with the question of road safety?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I have already indicated that I shall be happy to consider the details of any case that the hon. Member or anybody else cares to send me.

Mr. J. T. Price

Would the Minister, who seems to be in some doubt about the matter of evasion, be prepared to take evidence from senior officers of British Road Services, who can give him plenty of information on this question?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

If a breach of the law is suggested, there are perfectly normal ways of bringing that matter to the attention of the police.