§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made towards the introduction of measures to improve the safety of coaches and minibuses with particular reference to the transit of school children; and what additional measures he has evaluated. [19689]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonSeat belts already have to be provided for children being taken on organised trips in coaches first used after 1 October 1988 and in all minibuses. From 10 February next year this requirement will also apply to older coaches.
We take the adequacy of seat belts very seriously. We are therefore proposing that all belts in minibuses and coaches are checked at the annual MOT test, and also that the Vehicle Inspectorate include the condition of all minibus and coach seat belts in the random roadside inspections which they carry out. We have consulted on details and hope to announce shortly how we intend to take this forward.