MOTOR CARS (INTERNATIONAL CIRCULA TION) BILL. (Hansard, 11 November 1909)

§ LORD ALLENDALE

My Lords, I notice that the explanatory Memorandum which accompanied this Bill in the other House has been omitted, and therefore perhaps it would be as well that I should in a few words explain its provisions. The object of the Bill is to enable this country to become a party to an International Convention which has recently been concluded between various European Powers in order to facilitate the movement of motor cars from one country to another. By the Convention provision is made for the issue of travelling passes to motorists passing from their own to another country. These will admit the car and 583 driver without investigation or examination of the capacity of either. A car entering a foreign country will be allowed to carry the identification plates of the country of origin surmounted by an oval plate to indicate the country whose plates it bears. Your Lordships will see that by this reciprocal registration will be promoted. The operative part of the Bill—that is, subsections (a) and (b) of Clause 1—is concerned with meeting these two points. It is proposed that an Order in Council should be issued to deal with the detail of the subject, and the Bill will give authority for this being done. The Bill passed through the other House without opposition and it is hoped it will become law forthwith, so that the Convention may be ratified as soon as possible.

§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEU

My Lords, I desire to support the Motion for the Second Reading of this Bill, which carries out resolutions arrived at by a conference, of which I was a member, held in Paris in October, and at which the Local Government Board, the Police authorities, and various Government Departments were represented. The object is to provide for the passage from country to country of motor cars, which has hitherto been a difficult problem, and also to provide a driving certificate which shall be accepted by the countries concerned. When I mention that all the principal countries of Europe were represented and have agreed to this convention, I am sure your Lordships will recognise the desirability that the Bill should pass as speedily as possible. As the Convention is to be signed on the sixteenth of this month, it is important that the Bill should go through rapidly. I therefore hope it will pass without opposition.