HC Deb 11 July 1994 vol 246 cc433-4W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to seek to legislate at the earliest opportunity to prevent any public service vehicle available for hire from being used by school-age children without a seat belt each and in numbers greater than one person per fixed seat; and if he will do this without awaiting EU legislation.

Mr. Key

This is part of the wider review which is under active consideration.

Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy on the seating of school age children on buses to travel to and from school and to go on school outings, and on the wearing of seat belts, for each year group up to 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

The Public Service (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984 permit three seated children under the age of 14 to share a double seat and count as two passengers. This concession has been considered as part of the review of the technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts to all seats in minibuses and coaches recently undertaken by my officials, the report and conclusions of which we hope to publish before the summer recess.

Seat belts must be worn in minibuses with an unladen weight not exceeding 2,540 kg, and specified front seats in larger vehicles. We will be reviewing the position on wearing, but it raises complex issues of responsibility in the case of children on larger vehicles.

Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his officials are having with their counterparts in the European Union with a view to legislating to fit seat belts and keep numbers to one person to each fixed seat on all public service vehicles available for hire for school-age children; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

Following the announcement of the European Commission's strategy for improving bus and coach safety, my officials are taking part in the discussions of the working group convened to consider the technical requirements for belts in vehicles which do not carry standing passengers.

The number of passengers who may be carried is a question for individual member states.