§ Q8. Mr. G. Campbellasked the Prime Minister if he will transfer responsibility for the system of licensing of road vehicles in Scotland from the Minister of Transport to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. The system of carrier licensing, to which I assume the hon. Gentleman is referring, is an integral element of the Government's transport policy which takes account of the needs of particular areas, but must be considered for Great Britain as a whole.
§ Mr. CampbellAs the Secretary of State for Scotland is already responsible for roads and road safety, why not transfer the licensing system for road haulage vehicles to him and, at the same time, exempt that system in Scotland from the proposals in the Transport Bill, which will be very damaging to Scotland's development if they are applied there?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman will, of course, have opportunities of debating these issues when the Bill is before the House in its subsequent stages. I was not quite sure whether the hon. Gentleman was referring to carrier licences. This question—particularly in relation to quantity licensing—refers to distances over 100 miles, and a large part of this traffic and goods originate across the Border. It was, therefore, thought appropriate to have a system for Great Britain as a whole.