§ 19. Mr. Jesselasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government intend to introduce legislation concerning the use of seat belts in cars.
§ 20. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to make the wearing of seat belts compulsory.
§ Dr. GilbertYes, the Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill will be reintroduced as soon as practicable in the present Session.
§ Mr. JesselIs the hon. Gentleman aware that many of us will be glad to hear that? Is he aware that when we 1681 began to discuss the Bill 12 months ago his predecessor, the present Secretary of State for Education and Science, said that the compulsory wearing of seat belts would save about 1,000 lives and 10,000 injuries a year? Is he further aware that these figures are borne out by experience in Australia, where the compulsory wearing of seat belts in cars has been in operation for four years? The rates of both fatalities and serious injuries have been reduced by about 15 per cent. there. Every week's delay now costs about 20 lives and 200 serious injuries. Will the Government act quickly to bring the Bill before the House?
§ Dr. GilbertI am in complete sympathy with everything said by the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. AshleyDoes my hon. Friend recall one of his colleagues telling me, a few weeks ago, that nearly 20,000 people need not have died or been seriously disabled last year had they been wearing safety belts, and that the total number killed and injured over a period of years would dwarf the number of people killed or maimed in the last war? Will he treat this as a matter of urgency and ignore the rather silly announcements and pressures from organisations like the RAC?
§ Dr. GilbertI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks. I certainly endorse the views and the statistics which he has put before us. It certainly will be my objective to reintroduce the Bill as quickly as possible, subject to consultation with my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.