HL Deb 28 October 1996 vol 575 c110

2.58 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether evidence recorded by static police cameras can be used to bring charges against motorists using telephone handsets while driving on public roads.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)

My Lords, photographic evidence from police cameras could be used for bringing charges against motorists using telephone handsets, provided the proper evidential procedures were followed. As there is no specific offence of using a telephone while driving on public roads, the evidence would be used in charges of failure to have proper control of the vehicle or careless and inconsiderate driving.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that very clear Answer. As the cameras apparently provide accurate evidence of speeding, can they also be used to discourage any other offences where proof can be reliably recorded? If that is already happening, have the organisations representing the motoring public been consulted?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I believe the type of police camera to which my noble friend refers is the one dedicated to catching speeding offenders, namely the Gatso=type camera. That is type-approved and used specifically for that very purpose. There are a number of other types of camera, including closed circuit TV cameras and cameras within marked and unmarked police cars. Evidence from the marked and unmarked cars is already used for the prosecution of other offences, although that must be a decision for the police themselves.

Baroness Young

My Lords, will my noble friend, when considering this matter and the evidence from the police, bear in mind that there are many women who find having a car telephone a great security, particularly if they are required to drive in the evening or after dark?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, my noble friend makes a very important point about the uses of mobile telephones and the security which they give to many people, particularly women, who drive alone in their cars. However, the priority must be to drive the car safely, and it would be for the police to use their discretion as to whether to take action if they felt a car was not being properly driven.