§ Mr. Stanleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether it is his practice to refuse to issue a driving licence solely because the applicant declines to complete Form CLE 466;
(2) whether it is his practice not to approach the doctor or specialist of an applicant for a driving licence for information about the applicant's medical condition until the applicant has given his written consent on Form CLE 466;
(3) on what grounds he refuses to give an applicant for a driving licence his Department's source of medical information about the applicant which has resulted in the applicant being sent Form CLE 466;
(4) whether he will alter Form CLE 466, Application for a Driving Licence—Supplementary Medical Information, to make it clear that there is no legal obligation to complete it.
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§ Mr. HoramThe Secretary of State is required, for road safety reasons, to be satisfied as to applicants' medical fitness to drive. He has power to refuse licences on medical grounds. Where he has reasonable grounds for believing that an applicant may be suffering from a condition which is likely now or in the future to make him a danger as a driver he may by notice require him to authorise his doctor to give information about his medical condition. Form CLE 466 is a convenient means of doing this, but we will accept any other adequate written authorisation. Without such authorisation applicants' doctors are not approached. If reasonable co-operation in the making of medical inquiries is not forthcoming the Secretary of State is empowered to regard his doubts as confirmed and if authorisation were not given we might feel it necessary to refuse a licence. If a doubt about a driver's medical fitness is raised by, for instance, the police or the courts the source is normally revealed. Private sources of information are not revealed; in most cases the information is offered confidentially, out of concern for road safety and for the safety of the driver. Our aim is to give disadvantaged drivers the maximum entitlement commensurate with the interest of road safety and investigations are conducted on that basis.