§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that only Department of Transport approved driving instructors will be allowed to undertake the retraining of convicted drunken drivers.
§ Mr. ChopeThere are no proposals to change the existing requirement that driving instruction, for which524W payment is made, can only be given by a person who is registered or licensed to do so. Our proposals for an experiment in the use of rehabilitation courses for drink-drivers are set out in the Road Traffic Bill. Courses will have to be approved by the Secretary of State. Their main aim is to educate offenders about the effects of drinking and driving. Provision will not be restricted to driving instructors as courses will not normally involve driving lessons.