§ Mr. BendallTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport why delays in inspections for roadworthiness at the Public Carriage Office are increasing; and what steps he is taking to eliminate the problems to drivers and owners of black cabs and to the residents of Penton street being caused by these delays.
§ Mr. David Mitchell[holding answer 22 April 1988]: The operation of the Public Carriage Office is the responsibility of an assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. I understand that the March peak in the number of vehicles submitted for relicensing and the early Easter holiday have caused a temporary build-up. The PCO has taken short-term steps to deal with the backlog, and longer-term measures are in hand to improve the quality of the vehicles being submitted and the ways in which they are tested, particularly by the introduction of a booking system.