§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to appoint specifically trained magistrates to handle road traffic cases. [94527]
§ Jane KennedyThe Government is currently considering the report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council Transport Safety (PACTS)—'Road Traffic law and enforcement: a driving force for casualty reduction'—which includes a recommendation that only magistrates with specialised training should deal with motoring offences. There are no plans to appoint specifically trained magistrates to handle road traffic cases, but we are considering the case for additional training for all magistrates in motoring offences, including the causes of road casualties and the means of reducing them.