HC Deb 21 March 1994 vol 240 cc101-2W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, by traffic area office, the number of vocational drivers called to disciplinary hearings over the last 12 months; and how many of these drivers would not have been called under the arrangements he intends to introduce shortly.

Mr. Key

Approximately 9,000 driver disciplinary hearings took place nationally in the last 12 months, but the figures for individual traffic area officers are not readily available. We estimate that under the new arrangements. the total will fall to about 3,000 disciplinary hearings a year.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the impact on the staffing levels of(a) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (b) the traffic area offices of the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

Mr. Key

We estimate that staffing requirements in each of the traffic area offices will be reduced by about one post. There are no staffing implications for the DVLA.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the financial savings he estimates will be made by his Department following the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

Mr. Key

We estimate that the changes to the criteria for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings will achieve savings of about £160,000.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the organisations with which he had consultations before announcing the introduction of the guidelines for calling vocational drivers to disciplinary hearings.

Mr. Key

The Department's consultation document on proposals for passenger and goods vehicle operator licensing, circulated in May 1993, also sought views on the necessity for a separate disciplinary regime for drivers of lorries and coaches. The majority of organisations consulted were in favour of maintaining a separate conduct regime. The guidelines for calling drivers to disciplinary hearings are an administrative matter and there was no outside consultation.