§ Mr. Staintonasked the Minister of Transport, having regard to the laxity of some garages in the provision of MoT certificates, what safeguards he will require before disposing of heavy goods vehicle testing centres to the private sector.
§ Mr. FowlerThe Government are considering various options for involving the private sector in the testing of heavy goods vehicles. We shall attach particular importance to the need for effective safeguards to ensure that current testing standards are maintained and remain impartial. Under any new arrangements the Department will need to retain a supervisory role.
In the MoT testing scheme for cars, our control is as strict as our resources allow. If my hon. Friend knows of any instance of the improper issue of a test certificate, I shall arrange for the matter to be investigated. The scale and nature of the MoT testing scheme for cars makes its supervision a quite different problem from that which will be involved in heavy goods vehicle testing, however.