Mr. STRAUSSasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that if cabdrivers commit an offence of a minor character and are punished by the magistrate and fined, when the driver appeals for the renewal of his licence at the end of the year it is suspended because of this offence for possibly two or three weeks, thus practically punishing a man twice over for the same offence; and whether he will take steps to remedy this grievance of the cab-drivers?
§ Mr. CHURCHILL:A licence is never revoked or suspended for an offence of a minor character. If a driver is convicted of a serious offence, such as excessive 150W speed or driving dangerously or recklessly, he is cautioned, and if he is again convicted of a similar offence, the recent practice is to suspend his licence for a short period immediately after the conviction, instead of adopting the more severe course of revocation. In view of the very serious number of accidents caused by cabs it is not desirable in the public interest to relax the present rules.