§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the following statistics for the operations of the Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea; total capital costs incurred to date, estimated operating costs in the current financial year, total number of staff employed, number of licences issued in the year to date, and number of vehicle tax discs issued in year to date; and if he will make a statement about the savings achieved by this national centre compared with the work previously done by local authorities.
§ Mr. William RodgersIn relation to the whole of the centralised driver and vehicle licensing systems and as at 31st December 1976 the figures are £19.8 million; £43 million; 7,300 civil servants; and 11¼ million driving and 11 million vehicle licences respectively. No savings have been made—nor were any expected—during the transition from a localised to a centralised system. The indications are that, when complete, the centralised systems will cost about the same and require a similar number of staff as would the localised system had it remained viable, but that it will provide a better service.