§ Lieut.-Commander TUFNELLasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the fact that a large number of owner-drivers of taximeter-cabs are obliged to pay their licence duty quarterly owing to the fact that they do not possess adequate funds to pay it annually in advance, he will consider the introduction in due course of amending Regulations laying down that the sum total of these quarterly payments shall not exceed the annual payment?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that the same arguments, if valid, do not apply exclusively to owner-drivers of taximeter-cabs. He will further appreciate that the granting of four quarterly licences involves four times as much administration work as the granting of one annual licence, and that on these and other grounds an extra charge is not unreasonable. He will, therefore, I hope, agree that there is less ground than might1984W superficially appear for making the suggested discrimination.