§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department expects to settle the claim418W by Mr.N Quinn of Birmingham, in respect of the motor accident of 20 September 1988, when the uninsured Ford Sierra registration number D378 JML belonging to his Department hit Mr. Quinn's car.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 16 January 1989]: The Department's solicitor has been in correspondence with Mr. Quinn and his insurers since 6 October 1988, following the accident when Mr. Quinn's car collided with a Crown vehicle. The Department does not subscribe to the normal third party cover afforded by insurance companies, because section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 does not apply to the Crown. The Department, therefore, in common with most other Departments of State, carries its own risks and has its own insurance arrangements. I am sure that all concerned want to see the matter resolved as soon as possible.