§ Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) inspections and (b) prosecutions were carried out by the Traffic Commission in respect of public transport in the Liverpool area (i) in the two years preceding and (ii) since deregulation.
§ Mr. Key[holding answer 3 February 1994]: Data are not maintained for the Liverpool area alone. The north-western traffic area is the smallest area for which data may be available. Inspections are carried out by traffic examiners, responsible for such matters as drivers hours, tachographs and operator licensing, which may result in prosecution. Vehicle inspections are also carried out by vehicle examiners who are responsible for checking roadworthiness of vehicles. Offences may result in prohibitions. The police and local authority trading standards staff may also bring prosecutions in certain circumstances. Because changes have occurred in the way the figures are recorded, as well as in traffic area office boundaries, it is not possible to provide a consistent series of figures.
In the two years since the boundary change, PSV inspections and prosecutions by traffic examiners in the north-western traffic area were as follows:
1991 1992 Vehicles examined 4,703 5,421 Prosecutions 53 77