§ 91 and 92. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) whether he is aware that the Committee on road Safety's Report on the minimum age for motor-cyclists contains factual errors, such as giving the minimum age for moped riders in France as 16 years 53W when in fact there is no minimum age; and whether, as this Report does not deal with the original issue of the effects on the motor-cycle industry and the moped market of restrictions concerning driving licences, driving tests, L plates, Road Fund licences, etc., he will ask the Committee to re-examine the whole problem;
(2) if he is aware that the existing legislation on the restriction of driving licences, driving tests, L plates, Road Fund licences and other paper work is restricting development of the moped industry in this country, and that other countries where such restrictions do not apply are earning foreign currency to the disadvantage of British manufacturers; and, as this whole position will be further aggravated when the European Common Market is introduced, what action he proposes to take to free British manufacturers from these restrictions and enable them to compete with their overseas competitors on a fair basis.
§ Mr. NugentThe considerations to which the hon. Member refers are well known to us and will be borne in mind when final decisions are taken on the recommendations of the Committee on Road Safety on the minimum age for motor cyclists.