§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the time it takes for a typical applicant for a licence to pass the knowledge test to become a London taxi driver administered by the Public Carriage Office from the day of registration; what was the equivalent figure(a) five and (b) 10 years ago; and what plans he has to reform testing procedures. [31765]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThere are two stages to 'Knowledge' testing. Once an application for a taxi driver's licence has been accepted the applicant is invited550W to an 'initial talk' at which the topographical knowledge requirements are explained and the book of routes to be learned ('the Knowledge') is issued. The applicant is then allowed up to two years (extendable on request) to learn the Knowledge and apply for a first examination interview ('an appearance'). The average time between initial talk and first appearance has been:
1987: 448 days1992: 478 days1997: 484 days.Thereafter, an applicant may require several appearances. The average time taken between first appearance and becoming licensed has been:
1987: 519 days1992: 681 days1997: 781 days.The time taken for each stage depends on various factors, including the amount of time which an applicant can devote to Knowledge learning. The standard required of applicants has remained unchanged throughout the period.
Changes to testing procedures which have been introduced by the Public Carriage Office include:
an expanded booklet of the routes to be learned giving greater explanation of what is required;an updated 'initial talk';a written test which has to be passed before the applicant is granted a first 'appearance', so that the resources of examiners in oral interviews are not taken unnecessarily;a revised marking and points system which ensures that candidates who are making progress move forward in the system whilst those who are under-performing revert to a previous stage, again without taking examiners' resources unnecessarily;a more open assessment system.Changes which the Public Carriage Office plan for the future include:
an increase in the number of examiners;adoption of the Business Excellence Model (in progress);an independent review of the Knowledge process; andan investigation (already commenced) into the possible introduction of a computer-based testing system.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many officials are employed by the Public Carriage Office; and if he will list their grades and salaries. [31764]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Public Carriage Office tell me that staff financed through licence fees are as follows:
551W
£ Grade Number Local pay average per annum Principal 1 38,152 Senior Executive Officer 1 29,910 Higher Executive Officer 1 24,553 Executive Officer 4 20,080 Administrative Officer 14 14,605 Administrative Assistant 2 11,134 Typist 1 11,134 Paperkeeper 1 12,475 Messenger 1.5 12,475 Senior Knowledge of London Examiner 1 24,553 Knowledge of London Examiner 6 14,605 Chief Inspecting Officer 1 29,910
£ Grade Number Local pay average per annum Senior Public Carriage Examiner 4 24,553 Public Carriage Examiner 27 20,080 I am similarly told that Public Carriage Staff financed through the Metropolitan Police Fund and not through licence fees (because this is not a licensing function) are as follows:
£ Number Local pay average per annum Cab Rank Liaison Officer Executive Officer 1 20,080 Lost Property Office Higher Executive Officer 1 24,553 Executive Officer 1 20,080 Administrative Officer 8 14,605 Administrative Assistant 1 11,134 Storeman 1 12,016 Messenger 0.5 12,475 Cab Enforcement Section Police Sergeant 1 36,757 Police Constable 4 33,600 Local pay averages include London Weighting and other allowances.
In addition to the staff figures shown, there is at present a supernumerary police constable in each of the Knowledge of London and Cab Enforcement Sections.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets have been set by the Public Carriage Office as to the number of licensed taxi drivers it intends to recruit in future years. [31767]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Public Carriage Office does not set any targets or limits as to the number of London taxi drivers it licenses. All applicants who meet the criteria are licensed.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people are currently registered applicants on the knowledge examination to become a licensed taxi driver; and how many applicants there were in(a) 1970, (b) 1975, (c) 1980, (d) 1985, (e) 1990 and (f) 1995. [31771]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonInformation on the number of registered applicants is not available in a useful form, as it is not known how many people who have initially registered have subsequently decided not to pursue Knowledge testing. The Public Carriage Office tell me that the number of new applicants in the years in question was as follows
552W1970: 2,2761975: 2,2441980: 2,1181985: 4,8781990: 3,8211995: 3,607 (calculation based on 10 months' data)1997: 4,107.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each meeting which has taken place between his Department and the Public Carriage Office in the last year indicating its purpose. [31768]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThere have been various meetings and discussions on a range of issues, including London minicab regulation, and resources and procedures for Knowledge of London testing for would-be taxi drivers.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the relationship between the Public Carriage Office and his Department indicating to whom the Principal Officer of the Public Carriage Office reports. [31769]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Secretary of State's statutory responsibility in respect of taxi regulation has been delegated to an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service. The officer in charge of the Public Carriage Office reports to that Assistant Commissioner. The fees charged by the Public Carriage Office are subject to approval by the Secretary of State.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what annual reports the Public Carriage Office publishes; and if he will place copies of these in the Library. [31834]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Public Carriage Office (PCO) does not produce an annual report. The PCO is a branch of the Metropolitan Police Service, and each year the Commissioner presents his Annual Report for the Service to the Home Secretary.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many full-time examiners have been employed by the Public Carriage Office in each of the last 10 years. [31766]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Public Carriage Office tell me that the information in respect of Knowledge of London examiners is as follows:
Year Number 1989 6 1990 7 1991 7 1992 6.5 1993 7 1994 6.75 1995 6.5 1996 6.5 1997 7 1998 18 1Including a supernumerary Police Constable.
§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Public Carriage Office has to recruit more examiners to test applicants to become a licensed taxi driver. [31770]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Public Carriage Office intend to recruit two additional Knowledge of London Examiners in the coming year, subject to Ministerial approval for the licence fees, and subject to savings being achieved within the PCO.