§ 50. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Transport whether he will seek international agreement to provide that British motorists visiting France should get the same insurance protection as French motorists visiting this country; what representations he has received on this matter; and what reply he has sent.
Mr. Bob BrownI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the compensation of victims of accidents in France involving uninsured or unidentified drivers. We have received letters on this subject from the Royal Automobile Club and also from my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Chiswick (Mr. Barnes) and have replied to the effect that we are already exploring, through my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the possibilities of reopening negotiations with the French authorities.
A previous attempt in 1961 to obtain reciprocal treatment proved unsuccessful, because of differences in the respective insurance requirements and systems.