§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on those very exceptional circumstances referred to in Point 10, Annexe III, of EC Directive 91/439/EEC wherein insulin-dependent drivers might be granted licences to drive minibuses and transit vans. [23355]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe relevant provision in the Directive, relating to the driving of vehicles in group 2 (lorries over 3.5 tonnes and vehicles with more than eight passenger seats), says that
only in very exceptional cases may driving licences be issued to or renewed for applicants or drivers in this group suffering from diabetes mellitus and requiring insulin treatment, and then only where duly justified by authorised medical opinion and subject to regular medical check-ups.The advice of the Secretary of State's Honorary Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving is that there are, in their judgment, no exceptional cases which medical opinion would recognise as being lower risk than others. The Panel have recently confirmed their considered view that granting licences to drive Group 2 vehicles to those who are insulin-treated is not in the interests of road safety.