§ 9. Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving licences issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre in respect of motor cars were valid at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerAt the end of February 1986 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre held a total of over 40 million drivers records, of which nearly 30 million relate to holders of current licences. Licences normally allow the holder to drive a range of vehicle types. Therefore, a separate figure of those covering motor cars is not available.
§ Mr. BruinvelsA substantial number of people possess driving licences, whether provisional or full. Does my hon. Friend agree that there is now a genuine need to prevent possible abuse when the licence circulates away from the holder of the licence? Therefore, as a matter of urgency, should we not introduce photo identity pass licences so that people can prove that they are entitled to drive and so that the system is not abused or the licence sold on the black market?
§ Mr. SpicerWe have no evidence that such abuse is widespread. Insistence on a photograph on a driving licence would not square well with the long period driving licence up to the age of 70. We do not think that the British people would welcome a document which smacked of being an identification paper.
§ Mr. AndersonHas the Minister noted how infrequently the DVLC now figures in questions on the Order Paper, and when it does as today, it is referred to in a non-critical sense? Is that not some measure of the quality of performance of the centre? Will he give a public commendation to its work?
§ Mr. SpicerI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who, I think, has the DVLC in or near his constituency. I can confirm that the number of complaints has decreased substantially; certainly it has decreased very substantially compared to the increase in business done by the DVLC. Therefore, I certainly join in the congratulations to that part of government which is is the hon. Gentleman's constituency.