§ Mr. Marksasked the Minister of Transport if he will seek powers to provide a defence to the absolute offence of failure to display a vehicle excise licence that at the time of the alleged offence the duty chargeable was in the hands of the licensing authority.
§ Mr. FowlerThe police do not normally prosecute for failure to display where a vehicle excise licence has expired within the last 14 days or application for a new one has already been made. I will, however, consider whether a statutory defence should be provided in these circumstances.