§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in view of the growing practice of magistrates accepting the pleas of prominent persons in lucrative employment that their road driving licences should not be suspended or that their suspensions be lifted after a short period of time when found guilty of the offence of drinking and driving, on the grounds that their employment or public position would suffer, he will seek to amend the law making licence suspension mandatory for all persons found guilty and to remove the discretion to courts to give a lesser penalty on the plea of hardship or extenuating circumstances.
§ Mrs. Chalker:No. The courts must continue to have discretion in really exceptional cases.