§ 36. Mr. Cleaverasked the Minister of Transport if he will take powers to give help to local authorities in finding suitable sites on which to train young men and women motor cycle and motor scooter riders.
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettSection 75 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, gives local authorities powers to make arrangements for the practical training of motor cycle and scooter riders. I think the authorities themselves are best placed for finding suitable sites.
§ Mr. CleaverIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that land in Birmingham is very scarce and, when it is obtainable, it is very expensive? Is he aware that when those who operate the cycle tracks organise schemes they cannot train the riders they wish to train?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettWe wish to encourage local authorities to exercise these powers because we recognise the great value of this training. To a large extent local authorities have been successful, sometimes using school playgrounds or private roads; sometimes persuading factories to allow their private roads to be used. Also, when it is appropriate and they approach a Government Department for the use of Government land, sympathetic consideration is always given.
§ Mr. Bourne-ArtonIs the Minister aware of the intolerable nuisance caused on the very well-known existing circuits on which these people are trained, not so much by the testing but by every Sunday being made hideous by competitors practising? This is a persistent and intolerable nuisance. Does not the existing practice of having well-known circuits on which to test reduce the value of the test?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettThe object of this Section is to train rather than to test. We have to balance the admitted inconvenience of noise with the greater saving of lives.
§ 37. Mr. Cleaverasked the Minister of Transport, if he has yet reached a decision as to whether he will accept the Royal Automobile Club-Auto-Cycle Union's proficiency test as a certificate of competence to obtain a G. licence.
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettI have not seen any evidence to suggest that the proficiency tests which form part of the R.A.C./A.C.U. motor cycle training scheme are comparable with the official driving test. But we are well aware of the value of the training scheme and propose to discuss with the organisers other possibilities of linking it more closely with our own test organisation.
§ Mr. CleaverIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that I do not agree with him? Is he aware that the standard of the certificate is extremely high and that the organisers of the scheme are prepared to co-operate by having Ministry of Transport inspectors at their tests in order that the certificate may be a prerequisite of the holding of a licence?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettWe agree about the high standard of the training given. The only definite evidence we have is that in 1959–60 when about 15 clubs showed a comparison with their test, 31 out of 106 of the results did not correspond with the performance of the same candidates in our own driving test. We hope to discuss the matter further with the authorities, as I said, with a view to trying to bring the two sets of tests into line.
§ Mr. CleaverWill my hon. and gallant Friend bear in mind that the police as well as motor cycle clubs are interested in this scheme?
§ Vice-Admiral Hughes HallettYes, Sir.