New Clause.—(DURATION OF DRIVING LICENCES AND FEES THEREFOR.) (Hansard, 30 May 1956)

§ Mr. Molson
I beg to move, That the Clause be read a Second time.
It was an Amendment moved by the right hon. Member for Vauxhall (Mr. G. R. Strauss) in Standing Committee which gave the Committee an opportunity of expressing its views on this subject. It was very strongly urged that there was really no reason for driving licences having a duration of only 12 months, and that it would be greatly to the convenience of the motoring public if driving licences were of longer duration. It was also argued and proved that, with the great increase in the number of driving licences, there is an increasing burden upon the local taxation offices, and that it would reduce the amount of work very much, or prevent it from increasing at the present rate, if driving licences had a duration of a longer period than 12 months.
325 The Government undertook, if that Amendment was withdrawn, to move an Amendment dealing with the matter on Report stage. I made it plain that in doing that it would be necessary to impose certain limitations if it was to result in a decrease in the labour of the taxation offices. As a result, this new Clause provides for certain restrictions. It may be suggested, for example, that an arrangement should be made to refund the unexpired portion of the licence fee where, as often is the case, it is not desired that the licence should run its full term, or that a person should have the option of annual or triennial licences. If we introduced complications of that kind, they would add greatly to the difficulties of administration.
There is another thing which also became apparent when we began to study the matter. It was obvious that if a triennial system was suddenly introduced, it would result in a tremendous burden of work being thrown upon the offices every three years. For that reason, subsection (5) makes provision for transitional arrangements. This will enable the licensing authorities to arrange, under regulations made by the Minister, that, for example, persons whose surnames begin with the letters A to F will be entitled to the three-year licence in the first year of the new arrangement, whereas those whose names begin with the letters from G to L or M to Z will get annual licences. In that way, the new system will be introduced gradually. It is, in fact, a fulfilment of a promise I made in Standing Committee, and I therefore trust that it will be acceptable to this Committee.

§ Mr. Royle
While I welcome the new Clause very enthusiastically, I wish to add an extra reason why it should be introduced. It happens that people who take out licences year by year sometimes slip up and gain a couple of months as a result of taking out yearly licences, and it is quite possible for the holders of driving licences over the course of five years to save 5s. by "pinching" a couple of months year by year. It will certainly be the fact that under this new Clause that could not happen except every three years, and I think it is quite a sound argument in favour of the Clause.

§ Mr. Ernest Davies
I want to express the appreciation of hon. Members on this side of the Committee who pressed for this Amendment during the Committee stage. This is one of the few of the numerous commonsense proposals which we made which the Government have seen fit to accept, and for that we are grateful. I only hope that, having accepted this suggestion in the case of driving licences—that they should be issued for a three-year period instead of annually—the same principle will be applied to some other licences, dog licences and the like, which would also bring a benefit in a saving of expense in administration.
It seems to us that the introduction of this system of a three-year period on the basis now proposed by the Government is a very sound way of doing it, and should prevent an accumulation of work in the taxation offices. We therefore welcome it.