HC Deb 03 June 1981 vol 5 cc920-1
15 Mr. Iain Mills

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about progress towards a fixed penalty system for minor traffic offences.

Mr. Fowler

The report of the working party on traffic law set up by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and myself was published on 20 May. The Government welcome the recommendation that the fixed penalty system should be extended to the less serious moving traffic offences. We have not, however, accepted the proposal that the carrying of driving licences should be compulsory. We have proposed instead that the fixed penalty procedure should be available to a driver only if he produces his licence.

Mr. Mills

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many millions of motorists will welcome this second innovation in his short term of office and will welcome him as the motorist's friend, bringing simple justice for simple offences? Has he made any estimate of the amount of time and the burden on the courts that will be saved as a result of this simple and better system?

Mr. Fowler

I am most grateful to my hon. Friend. The estimate made by the working party is that the extension of the fixed penalty system to minor moving traffic offences would take about 600,000 cases out of the courts. I think that that is one of the great merits of what is proposed. The expected saving is between £3 million and £10 million per year.

Mr. Sheerman

Is the Minister aware that the Government's obduracy over Civil Service pay means that many people are unable to drive with a valid licence and that many thousands of people—those who are disabled, those who become disabled, who need to have a renewable one-year licence, and those wishing to begin driving again after being banned for a year or so—cannot obtain a licence? Is he aware that his system would be inoperable at the present time because of the Government's obduracy on Civil Service pay?

Mr. Fowler

That takes us considerably further than the present question. I am, of course, well aware of the problems being caused by the industrial action taking place at the Swansea vehicle licensing centre. I think that that is a great pity, not only from the point of view of the public, which is pre-eminent, but also for the reputation of Swansea, which had been improving over the past two years.