§ 47. Mr. Russell Kerrasked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in regard to the co-operative action on road safety between her Department and the equivalent authorities in Western Europe with a view to avoiding a repetition of last summer's holiday coach disasters involving the loss of British lives; and whether she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CastleThe Council of Ministers of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport resolved, on my proposal, that all member countries should take steps to enable the European Agreement of 1962 for regulating drivers' hours to be brought into force as soon as possible. The legislative or other measures necessary are going forward in most member countries, and it is hoped to bring the Agreement into operation early in 1968.
The Council also commissioned a study of possible improvements of the 1962 Agreement, and an analysis of the accidents involving coaches on inter- 200W national journeys in 1966. The Council will be considering the latter at their next meeting on 14th June.
At the Council's request, the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe is studying the question of international standards for the construction and equipment of motor coaches, and a working group on this is meeting in a few days' time in London.