§ 46. Mr. Royleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will cause an inquiry to be made into the differing penalties imposed by various benches of magistrates in road traffic offences.
§ Mr. DeedesNo, Sir. My right hon. and gallant Friend does not think that any useful purpose would be served by such an inquiry, which would involve the expenditure of an inordinate amount of time and money.
§ Mr. RoyleDoes the hon. Gentleman think, in view of the very wide differences in the penalties being imposed in different parts of the country, that, all other things being equal, it merits some broad hint from the Home Department?
§ Mr. DeedesIt is not in dispute that penalties do vary, and vary widely, but I would point out that the Home Office circular on the new Road Traffic Act drew magistrates' attention to the Lord Chancellor's suggestion that they might be well advised to review the scale of penalties which they impose in motoring cases.