COMMONS AMENDMENTS

HL Deb 16 March 1976 vol 369 cc152-3

[References are to Bill (43) as first printed for the Commons]

[No. 1]

Clause 1, page 2, leave out lines 8 to 22 and insert— (2) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that subsection (1) above shall have effect as if for the classes of vehicles and the ages specified in the Table thereto there were substituted different classes of vehicles and ages or different classes of vehicles or different ages. (3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, regulations under subsection (2) above may—

1. (a) apply to persons of a class specified in or under the regulations;
2. (b) apply in circumstances so specified;
3. (c) impose conditions or create exemptions or provide for the imposition of conditions or the creation of exemptions;
4. (d) contain such transitional and supplemental provisions (including provisions amending sections 110, 124 or 188(3) of this Act) as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient.

(4) For the purpose of defining the class of persons to whom, the class of vehicles to which, the circumstances in which or the conditions subject to which regulations under subsection (2) above are to apply where an approved training scheme for drivers is in force, it shall be sufficient for the regulations to refer to a document which embodies the terms (or any of the terms) of the scheme or to a document which is in force in pursuance of the scheme. (5) In subsection (4) above—

• "approved" means approved for the time being by the Secretary of State for the purpose of regulations under subsection (2) above;
• "training scheme for drivers" means a scheme for training persons to drive vehicles of a class in relation to which the age which is in force under this section but apart from any such scheme is 21 years;

but no approved training scheme for drivers shall he amended without the approval of the Secretary of State.

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 1 to Clause 1 which expands subsections (2) and (3) of the proposed new Section 96 of the 1972 Act into four subsections. This has been done partly for presentational reasons; but the new subsections (4) and (5), and some related consequential Amendments to Schedule 1, have been specifically introduced to meet a suggestion by the Joint Select Committee on Statutory Instruments that existing powers to lower the minimum age for driving heavy goods vehicles from 21 to 18 should be more clearly defined so as to afford a closer control over the related training scheme.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment—[Baroness Stedman]

On Question, Motion agreed to.