HC Deb 29 March 1994 vol 240 cc721-2W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 March,Official Report, column 102, if he will list the reasons why certain offences will no longer be categorised as requiring disciplinary hearings after reorganisation.

Mr. Key

There has never been any requirement for drivers who have been convicted of offences by the courts to be called in addition to public inquiry by a traffic commissioner; offences involving more than six penalty points have, however, hitherto been referred routinely to the traffic commissioners, who have had discretion to call drivers to inquiry and, especially in cases involving disqualification, often did so. Under the new guidelines, traffic commissioners are recommended not to call to inquiry drivers who have received first-time disqualifications of 12 months or less, but to deal with such cases by warning letter. In addition, drivers who have received only very short disqualifications or penalty points short of a disqualification will no longer be routinely referred to the traffic commissioners for possible action unless the penalty points result from alcohol or drug-related offences.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 March,Official Report, column 102, if he will list the categories of offences of the driver disciplinary hearings held in the last 12 months, giving details.

Mr. Key

During the last 12 months there have been approximately 9,000 individual disciplinary hearings for vocational drivers. Information on the category of offences on each of these hearings could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.