§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the effect on employment of the decision to close local motor taxation offices and transfer them to Swansea; and if he will list these by local authority, where applicable, in the Northern Region.
§ Mr. HoramAs against an original figure of 6,200 staff, excluding common service staff, in local taxation offices (LTOs), there are at present 3,200 in LTOs, 1,250 in local vehicle licensing offices and 5,300 at the Swansea Centre. When transfer of records is complete early next year, the figures will be nil, 2,200 and 5,400 respectively, including common service staff.
The number of staff now employed in LTOs in the Northern Region is as follows. Original figures are given in brackets.
North Tyneside MBC 4 (5) Borough of South Tyneside 4 (7) Newcastle Upon Tyne EDC 13 (20) Northumberland CC 24 (41) Gateshead MBC 3 (6) Borough of Sunderland 4 (9) Durham CC 22 (49) Hartlepool BC 4 (6) Middlesbrough BC 12 (24) North Berkshire CC 18 (29) Borough of Barrow in Furness 4 (6) Cumbria CC 11 (20) City of Carlisle 2 (5) Berwickshire DC 2 (3) Darlington BC 4 (7) When transfer is complete, the region will be served by six local vehicle licensing offices employing about 100 staff. Driver licensing is already being dealt with wholly at Swansea.
§ Mr. Cowansasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the interests of the consumer, he will halt further transfers of work from local motor taxation 549W offices to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea.
§ Mr. William RodgersNo. The interests of the consumer—in this case the Exchequer, for vehicle excise duty, and the police, for the purpose of enforcing road safety and vehicle licensing excise law—will be better served by the new system than by the old. Despite teething troubles, I believe that the interests of the public and of the motor trade will be best served too.