§ 21. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what staff is employed on examining the records of drivers of commercial vehicles and the approximate number of such records submitted annually.
§ Mr. WatkinsonSeventy-one staff are normally employed full time on this work and I hope to increase this number to 95 when fuel rationing ends.
Information is not available about the number of records examined but during the past few years the number of summonses taken out for offences disclosed by these examinations has averaged nearly 6,000 a year.
§ Mr. Ernest DaviesDoes not the Minister consider that this very large number of breaches of the law in regard 1254 to records is the result of the denationalisation of road haulage, which has brought about excessive competition on the roads?
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo, I do not.