§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the surprise examination on the roadworthiness of lorries which took place on Wednesday, 8th July; to what extent he proposes to arrange for similar inspections in other parts of the country; and whether during such investigations he will take action upon the number of vehicles now on the road and in daily use without a road fund excise licence.
§ Mr. MarplesDuring the operation in the Leeds area on 8th and 9th July, 821 vehicles were examined; 296 prohibition notices were issued of which 74 had immediate effect. A similar operation took place around London on 13th and 14th July and notice has been given of others around Edinburgh, Cardiff and Norwich in the near future. Others will take place during the coming months near various towns throughout the country.
It is the normal practice to examine the licences of vehicles when they are 262W stopped and for particulars of those without an excise licence to be reported to the licensing authorities.