§ Sir J. Mellorasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give an approximate estimate for any convenient period of the administrative costs of disbursement involved in the payment out of public funds to the county councils of 5s. for each driving licence, which the military authorities are required to purchase in respect of certain categories of soldiers driving motor vehicles in course of duty; whether he will give a similar estimate of the costs of collection by the Exchequer of the said 5s. per licence, which the county councils are required to refund to the Exchequer; and whether he will investigate the necessity for these self-balancing transactions?
§ Captain CrookshankIt is impracticable to frame any estimate of the administrative cost to the War Office of obtaining driving licences or of the cost of transmitting to the Exchequer the fees collected for such licences by the licensing authorities, but it is not likely that any economy would be secured by making arrangements for the issue of driving1246W licences without payment, having regard to the safeguards which would be necessary under such arrangements. I understand, however, that with a view to saving a certain amount of clerical labour the Departments concerned have under consideration the possibility of dispensing with the need for obtaining civilian driving licences by extending the use of the emergency permit, Army Form A.2038.