§ 15. Mr. Goodladasked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the report of the advisory committee on motor cycle training; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI understand that the committee has now held its final meeting, and its report can be expected to be with my right hon. Friend very shortly.
§ Mr. GoodladIn view of the accident record of motor cycles and the serious injuries sustained by their riders, will my hon. Friend, when he receives the report, give the highest priority, within the resources at his disposal, to increasing the availability of training facilities?
§ Mr. ClarkeI entirely agree with what my hon. Friend says about the seriousness of the present motor cycle accident statistics. Once we have the report we shall be considering urgently what can be done to increase the number of people receiving professional training before they receive their full licence.
§ Mr. John EvansWould it not be an excellent contribution to road safety if people were forbidden to drive a motor cycle above 50 cc capacity until after they had passed the test?
§ Mr. ClarkeWe shall be looking at the present limit on the size of motor cycle avilable to those who have not passed a test. At the moment, the limit is 250 cc, but I am aware that some of the more modern vehicles can travel at up to 100 mph. I await the advice of the advisory committee on that topic.