§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it is the practice of the Metropolitan Police 220W to ask to see driving licences and examine whether road fund licences are in order only when drivers are interviewed in connection with accidents; and whether he will institute some system of examination before the accidents take place.
§ Mr. WoodhouseAs was explained in the Answers which I gave to the hon. Member's Question on this subject on 11th June, accidents are not the only occasions on which drivers are asked for their driving licences.
§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in a short distance of less than a mile for a period of less than 10 minutes' observation the hon. Member for West Ham, North, observed recently 35 vehicles parked and driven in central London without statutory road fund licences; and whether he will give an assurance that on receipt of details from the hon. Member the Metropolitan Police will prosecute.
§ Mr. WoodhouseNo; my right hon. Friend has no responsibility in the matter of prosecutions. The institution of proceedings in respect of the excise offences of using or keeping an unlicensed vehicle is a matter for the local taxation authority. It is for the police to institute proceedings, where appropriate, in respect of the offence of not affixing and exhibiting a road fund licence on a vehicle. The police give what assistance they can to local taxation authorities in respect of excise offences. I am bringing the information that the hon. Member has sent me to the notice of the Commissioner of Police.
§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions took place during 1963 of persons driving vehicles on the road, and parking vehicles on the road, whilst they were not carrying a road fund licence.
§ Mr. WoodhouseStatistics of motoring offences for England and Wales for 1963 are not yet available; nor will figures for the offence of not affixing and exhibiting a road fund licence on a vehicle be separately available for that year. The Commissioner of Police tells me, however, that there were 57 prosecutions during 1963 for this offence in the Metropolitan Police District.
221W
§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were warned by the Metropolitan Police during 1963 of the offence of driving and parking their vehicles on the road without a road fund licence.
§ Mr. WoodhouseDuring 1963 the Metropolitan Police gave 1,678 written cautions in respect of the offence of not affixing and exhibiting a road fund licence on a vehicle. No separate record is kept of oral warnings for this offence. As explained to the hon. Member in reply to a previous Question, it is for the local taxation authority to deal with the excise offence of using or keeping an unlicensed vehicle.