§ 102. Mr. Rankinasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the official Committee on Road Users has reported that small amounts of alcohol taken by drivers of motor vehicles impel them to take greater risks than they would normally take, and make them less efficient in dealing with hazardous situations which they may consequently precipitate; and what action he proposes to take to deal with this problem in the public interest.
§ Mr. HayThe hon. Member presumably refers to a Memorandum in which the Medical Research Council recently published an account of laboratory experiments bearing on the effect of small doses of alcohol on a skill resembling driving. The conclusions are the responsibility of the research team concerned and do not in our view provide a basis on which legislative proposals could be framed for presentation to Parliament. We propose to continue discussions on the general issue with the Medical Research Council.