§ Mr. HindTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consult motoring and other transport organisations about the European Commission's proposals to harmonise driver licensing in member states; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyWe are today consulting interested organisations about the Commission's proposals for driver licensing. A copy of the consultation paper has been placed in the Library.
Bringing our driver licensing system into line with other European countries makes sense. Drivers who go abroad will benefit from having an internationally recognised licence. There is still a good deal of work to be done on the details of the proposal. Our objectives in the forthcoming negotiations will be to ensure that:
road safety remains the first priority of driver licensing and the transport needs of all United Kingdom citizens are fully recognised in the years ahead;licence holders from other member states who come to live in Great Britain are required to obtain a British licence;drivers of minibuses used for non commercial purposes and light goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes are not forced to take a second test;the degree of detail relating to disabilities required to be shown on the licence is reduced to a level that is compatible with our licensing arrangements.Provided that we can get these important points satisfactorily resolved, the proposed European Community regulations should benefit drivers by ensuring that when they go abroad they have an internationally recognised licence, and do not face complications about their rights or abilities to drive different categories of vehicle.