§ Viscount CURZONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he is aware that the effect of the Order recently issued by the Ministry of Transport to the effect that only pressed number plates are to be used for trade motor vehicles is to exclude cast number plates; whether he is aware that cast number plates are in every way better and that the banning of these plates will have a most serious effect upon the industry; and whether he can see his way to extend the Order to include cast number plates?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI assume that the Noble Lord refers to the Ministry of Transport's specification for plates issued by the registration authorities for use with trade licences obtainable by motor traders under Section 15 of the Finance Act, 1922. These plates are provided by, and remain the property of, the Minister, and I am advised that the method of manufacture by pressing is the best calculated to meet the particular requirements of this class of plate, that is, lightness and durability. During the current calendar year about 10,000 trade licences have been issued as against 800,000 ordinary licences. As there is no Regulation preventing these 800,000 licensees from using cast plates, I do not think the provision of approximately 10,000 pressed trade plates can have a serious effect 2173W upon the cast plate industry, and I am not prepared to extend the scope of the official specification.