§ Mr. Speirasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to a proposal to operate in the Metropolitan police area mini-cabs, without a licence from the Commissioner of Police, by drivers similarly not licensed, using a procedure under which a customer would hail a passing mini-cab, whose driver would communicate with his headquarters by radio before accepting the hiring; and whether he will introduce legislation to make the proposed method of operation unlawful.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe Commissioner of Police, whom I have consulted, is advised that the procedure in question may constitute plying for hire within the meaning of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act, 1869, and accordingly, if evidence is gathered by the Metropolitan Police that vehicles not licensed under that Act are operating the procedure described, the police will have to consider initiating a prosecution for breach of the law.