§ Mr. Adam Butlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date the numbers of driving test examiners in the county of Leicestershire 215W and in Hinckley will be at full complement; whether this complement is great enough to deal with current demand; how long he expects it will take to reduce waiting lists to less than one month; and what action he intends to take in respect of the authorised establishment.
§ Mr. PeytonThe answer to the first part of the Question is January; to the second, yes; to the third, it is not yet possible to say; and to the fourth, I will make a judgment in the light of progress.
§ Rear-Admiral Morgan-Gilesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1971 so that a person who is unable through sudden illness to give the required three days' notice of unavailability to attend a driving test does not thereby forfeit the testing fee.
§ Mr. PeytonNo. Although I sympathise with candidates who forfeit their fees because of sudden illness, the rule was introduced to deal with a very unsatisfactory situation.
§ Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish
1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 Traffic Area '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 Northern … … … … … 28 16 7 14 10 Yorkshire … … … … … 48 19 11 17 12 North western … … … … … 93 37 24 34 24 West Midland … … … … … 58 26 18 25 19 East Midland … … … … … 45 19 12 16 14 Eastern … … … … … 29 13 6 14 12 South Wales … … … … … 16 8 5 8 7 Western … … … … … 44 20 11 19 12 South Eastern … … … … … 53 23 15 18 12 Scottish (S) … … … … … 29 17 9 16 10 Scottish (N) … … … … … 8 5 3 3 5 Metropolitan … … … … … 172 73 48 73 53 Totals … … … … … 623 276 169 257 190