HL Deb 12 January 1971 vol 314 cc4-5

2.40 p.m.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is a fact that the reason why persons charged with motoring offences are now required to state their ages is to facilitate identification when the issue of driving licences is centralised for the whole country; and, if so, whether they will publicise this fact, widely, in order to allay public misunderstanding and resentment.]

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the noble Baroness is quite right, and I am grateful to her for this opportunity to make clear that in ascertaining the date of birth—and sex—of persons who are disqualified from driving or whose driving licences are to be endorsed, the courts are simply obtaining the information which the driver licensing authority needs in order to identify the appropriate driver record. In the centralised driver licensing system now being planned the records of many millions of drivers will be kept together, and an aid to identification will be essential to ensure that endorsements and disqualifications are noted on the right record. This is in the interests of the drivers themselves and of road safety.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord for his reply. My Question asked whether the Government would take steps to make this more widely known. Are such steps being taken? There is misunderstanding about this procedure, and people are outraged, sometimes unnecessarily, when asked for their date of birth.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the Question asked by the noble Baroness to-day, coupled with her letter in The Times some two months ago, will no doubt help in this respect. The information is of course confidential to the court. There is one point that I can add. If you are summoned before a court you are entitled to give the date of your birth in writing to the clerk of the court. It does not have to be announced publicly.

LORD BURNTWOOD

My Lords, are we now to understand that a lady must disclose her age in front of a third party?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the third party involved need only be the police, the court and the Department.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, I am sorry to pursue the matter, but may I ask whether the Minister could encourage police officers throughout the country to explain the reason for this request? What causes the misunderstanding is lack of explanation. No trouble is caused if people understand that the information is required in order to prevent people driving while disqualified.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I will bring that point to the attention of my right honourable friend.

LORD PLATT

My Lords, do Her Majesty's Government realise this is the only way of getting accurate information? It is well known that in the statistics of the Registrar General a number of ladies are 29 and 39 years of age, but comparatively few are 30 and 40 years of age.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I thank the noble. Lord for that observation.