§ 53. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will introduce legislation to amend the Road Traffic Acts to provide that persons convicted on a second offence under Section 19 of the 1930 Act in regard to drivers' working hours, or under Section 16 of the 1933 Act in regard to the keeping of records, shall have their licence suspended and that on a subsequent conviction shall have it revoked.
§ Mr. NugentNo, Sir. The suspension and revocation of carriers' licences are best dealt with under the statutory discretion exercised by Licensing Authorities, which can thus take into account the varying circumstances of individual cases.
§ Mr. DaviesIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in nearly all cases of prosecution a very large number of violations have been revealed and it is frequently the same operators who are found guilty 393 of committing these offences? Would it not be better that there should be this deterrent, this threat of the withdrawal of the licence, rather than the imposition of small fines which is now the custom?
§ Mr. NugentThe licensing authorities have power to levy such a penalty where they think it right. I think that it is best to leave it to their discretion. I should be sorry to leave the impression that we are harrying the commercial carrying trade.