§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what special factors have caused him to decide that driving examiners shall not be required to wear seat belts during their examination; and whether he is considering applying the same criteria to driving instructors during their instruction;
(2) what driving instructor organisations he has consulted on the question of exemption from compulsory wearing of seat belts during the course of driving instruction; and what views on the matter were expressed to him;
(3) what consideration in drafting proposed exemptions to the compulsory wearing of seat belts he has given as to whether untrained pupils are likely to endanger their driving instructors.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy right hon. Friend consulted the National Joint Council of Approved Driving Instructor Organisations, the Driving Instructors Scottish Council, the Driving Instructors Association, the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain Ltd, the National Association of Approved Driving Instructors and the RAC Register of Instructors. He carefully considered the views expressed by the National Association of Approved Driving Instructors in favour of discretionary exemption for instructors and by the National Joint Council seeking exemption when the vehicle is reversing. He decided that there was no justification for providing exemption only for instructors beyond that when the vehicle was reversing. Unlike instructors who are supervising unqualified drivers, examiners are testing them and therefore may only act at the last possible moment when candidates have had every chance to take avoiding action.