FLASHING LIGHTS FOR DOCTORS' CARS (Hansard, 14 June 1967)

§ LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, the British Medical Association have recently been informed that there are no legal or technical objections to the use of a distinctive flashing lamp which has been developed privately for use on doctors' motor cars. Use of such a lamp would not confer special privileges on doctors so far as traffic regulations are concerned but would be intended to indicate that the doctor is seeking the co-operation of other road users and the police to enable him to gain easier passage through congested traffic to answer an emergency call. The Ministry of Transport is consulting the Home Office in order to ascertain what assistance the police will be able to give. It is the intention that the British Medical Association should control the sale and distribution of these lamps.

§ LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD
My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for explaining the intention behind this idea? While I sympathise with the intention, is the noble Lord aware that there seem to be two serious objections to encouraging the use of priority lights on motor cars: first, that it may not be understood and may therefore cause confusion; and, secondly, that in so far as it is effective in getting priority in traffic is there not a danger that it may be used by other people, by criminals, by unscrupulous people who wish to gain the priority for themselves? Is it really wise to encourage such priorities?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, if I am right in my reading of the Press and 920 the representations that have been made to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Transport, I think there is wide sympathy for doctors, particularly when they are meeting emergency calls. The British Medical Council saw my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport and put these proposals to him. This will be a special lamp, issued under a special patent, and it will be within the control of the British Medical Association. Of course, things could go wrong if the British Medical Association were to issue these lamps freely or under no particular control, but I do not believe this will be so. The noble Lord may be right in saying that certain lamps could be copied by criminals and the like, but considering the problem of the doctors I think it is a risk worth running at this stage. If there is widespread abuse no doubt we shall have to consider the position.

§ LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord one further question? Is he aware that where priorities are allowed for vehicles now they are attached to a particular vehicle, like a fire engine or ambulance, easily recognised, and that is what makes the system perfectly satisfactory? Are there not bound to be dangers in a system of this kind?

§ VISCOUNT DILHORNE
My Lords, can the noble Lord tell us what colour these lamps will be?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, the Government, and in particular my right honourable friend, recognise some of the difficulties and dangers that may arise from this arrangement; but, on the other hand, there is widespread sympathy and an undoubted need for something to be done to make the work of doctors easier, particularly when they are answering emergency calls, and we should seek to do something. Certainly, if this arrangement is abused other steps may have to be taken. In reply to the question of the noble Viscount I may say that these will be lamps with a green light in the forward position and a red cross to the rear. It will be quite distinctive from any other form of blue or orange light.

§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE
My Lords, is it really wise to increase the proliferation of these flashing light? Already, many garage repair cars and lorries 921 carry them. Are we to understand that these lamps convey no statutory privilege to the users, and, if so, is there anything to prevent dentists, midwives and nurses all claiming an equal right to use them? Would not the best way of helping doctors be if the Ministry of Transport arranged special parking facilities for doctors when they are visiting their patients' houses instead of harrassing them as at present?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, the noble Lord was trying to be constructive at least in the first part of his question but I fear he rather spoiled his supplementary question by making, I thought, a rather crude statement. Obviously, the Government and my right honourable friend wish to help the doctors, but clearly we cannot provide parking spaces for doctors in every street in every town throughout the country. What we are seeking to do—and there is possibility of abuse here, and certain difficulty—is to help the doctors. If a change is found to be necessary, then we shall have to consider a change after consultation with the British Medical Association. We are trying to help the doctors, and I am surprised that there is so much criticism of our attempts to do so.

§ LORD SEGAL
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that there is a real need for some degree of priority in areas of severe traffic congestion; that this concession need not be universal, and that the risk of abuse is negligible so long as the issue is left entirely in the hands of authorised professional bodies?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, may I make it clear to my noble friend that this light does not give priority. All it does is to indicate that in the car there is a doctor answering an urgent call, who is seeking to obtain the co-operation of the police and other road users.

§ LORD DERWENT
My Lords, I think I understood the noble Lord correctly, but was it not rather unwise of the Minister of Transport to give this scheme her blessing before consulting the police? I think the noble Lord said that the Ministry were now going to consult the police, which to me seems the wrong way round.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I think the noble Lord will see that what 922 I said was that we are going to consult with the police to see what assistance they are able to give when this light is made available to the doctors.

§ LORD SOMERS
My Lords, I did not quite hear the noble Lord's original Answer. Did he say that this would not confer any extra privileges on the doctors, such as passing through traffic lights or passing to the right of islands, and so on?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
The noble Lord is quite correct.

§ BARONESS HYLTON-FOSTER
My Lords, did I understand the noble Lord to say that the red cross would be on the back of a green light? I think he will remember that under the Army Council rules and the Geneva Convention the red cross has to have a white background, and also has to be the subject of permission before it can be used.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, the light will be green in the front; the part of the lamp which is facing forward will be green. On the lamp facing to the rear of the car there will be a red cross on a white background.

§ VISCOUNT BRENTFORD
My Lords, if there is no legal or other objection to having flashing lights on cars, what is the justification for giving the B.M.A. a monopoly of this description?

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, we are not giving the B.M.A. a monopoly. The noble Viscount himself has indicated that there is at the moment no statutory prohibition against putting flashing lights on a car. But this would be a recognised lamp, I hope recognised by the public and the police, and put on the car for purposes with which we hope everyone will agree.

§ LORD BOOTHBY
My Lords, this is a Starred Question. We have now been debating—

§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)
My Lords, I was about to suggest that perhaps the House has had about enough of this for this afternoon.