Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his review of the conditions of the issuing of operators licences for buses and goods vehicles in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AtkinsBecause of the increasing differences between the operator licensing regimes in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Department of the Environment undertook a review of the Northern Ireland licensing system. Consultation with all interested parties was carried out in 1992 and the main recommendations of the review report were generally welcomed. Implementation of these recommendations would have significant resource implications and I am considering the way forward.