§ Q3. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Prime Minister whether he will recommend setting up a Royal Commission for investigating computerisation services for all licensing by Government Departments so that consumers hold only one current piece of paper for all licences, including vehicles, driving, television, radio, dogs, guns and the remainder, with a view to aiding consumer convenience on a large scale, now that the Consumer Council is wound up.
§ The Prime MinisterNational computer-based systems such as that for vehicle registration and driver licences are now being installed. When these very large systems have been successfully introduced, my hon. Friend's interesting suggestion and the feasibility of further integration can be considered.
§ Sir G. NabarroI thank my right hon. Friend for his sympathetic reply. Would he not agree that he should resist any temptation in the context of computerised services to appoint the Leader of the Opposition, in view of his known attitude to dog licences?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend is on to a point. The right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition would be interested in computerisation of this kind, always assuming that he was the programmer.
§ Mr. John FraserWhen the right hon. Gentleman is reviewing the licensing arrangements, will he make sure that the numbers on licences are printed in sufficiently large type to be read even by the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro) in the dim light of the Central Lobby?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is not very relevant to a matter which is engaging a great deal of Government funds and is an important matter of Government organisation.