§ 3. Mr. Longdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation, while always preserving the right of appeal, to authorise the police to fine an offender who pleads guilty to minor motoring offences by ticket on the spot.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Dick Taverne)My right hon. Friend is considering with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport the possibility of extending the offences to which the fixed penalty or "ticket" procedure is applicable.
§ Mr. LongdenI thank the Minister for that reply, but would not an extension such as is suggested, always assuming that the offenders agreed, save both them and the police many hours of hanging about courts?
§ Mr. TaverneI think that I agree with the hon. Gentleman, and certainly it was one of the recommendations of the Police Advisory Board recently that the extension of the use of traffic wardens should be matched by the extension of the fixed-penalty procedure.