§ 27. Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Ministry of Transport vehicle testing certificates have been withdrawn in Scotland since the introduction of the scheme.
§ Mr. PeytonSince January, 1969, there have been 446 withdrawals of authorisation; 308 were voluntary and 138 compulsory. Information about withdrawals in Scotland prior to 1969 is not available.
§ Mr. EwingWhile I am aware of the need to exercise vigilance in the tests carried out by the garages concerned, will the right lion. Gentleman accept that a problem is being created by the withdrawal of testing certificates and the non-replacement of garages involved? In the town of Falkirk, with a population of 30,000, only one garage tests cars, and people are having to book appointments five or six weeks ahead of the days on which a vehicle is to be tested. Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the position and into the fact that the ratio of testing certificates is falling rapidly in comparison with the number of cars on the road?
§ Mr. PeytonIf the hon. Gentleman asks me, I will of course look at the matter and see whether local needs are properly dealt with. But I must remind the House just how unsatisfactory the scheme is. Over the country as a whole there are 22,000 authorised garages and almost as many different results are obtainable. [Laughter.] That is a slight exaggeration, I must admit, but it is an unsatisfactory system and we must bring order into it. I have a working party sitting on the problem and I hope for some constructive proposals before long.