HC Deb 13 May 1966 vol 728 cc130-1W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will cause an investigation to be made in the area of Bethnal Green Road, Brick Lane and roads and streets within the vicinity known as Club Row on Sunday 15th May between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., to ascertain the number of vehicles in this area without road fund licences; and whether he will publish the results of such investigations in HANSARD;

(2) whether he will direct the Commissioner of Police to investigate the number of cars and vehicles without road fund licences which are parked in or around the vicinity of Mecklenburgh Square, W.C.1, at any given time between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, 16th May; and whether he will publish these figures in HANSARD;

(3) whether he will direct the Commissioner of Police to investigate the number of vehicles without road fund licences which are parked on the roads and streets in and around the vicinity of Finsbury Park underground station at any given time on Monday, 16th May; and whether he will publish these figures in HANSARD;

(4) whether he is aware that the Royal Dance Hall, Tottenham, is situated almost opposite the Tottenham Police Station and that on a Saturday night and other evenings when there is dancing at the Royal Dance Hall, dozens of cars are parked in Tottenham High Road outside the police station and in Chestnut Road and in this general vicinity without road fund licences; and whether on Saturday evening, 14th May, 1966, he will cause an investigation to be made by the police into this deliberate breaking of the law;

(5) whether he will request the police to cause an investigation to be made on Saturday, 14th May into the number of vehicles parked in and around Tottenham High Road without road fund licences, and report these law breakers to the appropriate authorities.

Mr. Taverne

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the Commissioner of Police has made proper arrangements for reporting to the appropriate authorities for such action as they consider fit cases in which vehicles are observed by Metropolitan Police officers to be apparently kept or used on public roads without valid road fund licences.

It would not be proper for my right hon. Friend to seek to direct the Commissioner in the detailed exercise of his responsibility for enforcing the law. I have, however, drawn his attention to the places mentioned by my hon. Friend, with whom I will communicate when I have heard further from the Commissioner.