Ministerial Cars (Hansard, 25 January 2001)

§ Mr. Ian McCartney

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from N. C. N. Matheson to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 25 January 2001: I have been asked by the Minister for the Cabinet Office to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about Ministerial cars. As Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency I am responsible for providing cars and drivers to Ministers. 1.To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the occasions since 1 May 1997 on which ministerial cars have been stopped by the police for (a) speeding and (b) other motoring offences, listing in each case whether further action was taken.

Answer

(a)None
(b) Date: August and October 1998—Offence: driving without due care and attention—Action taken: driver fined

2.To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 ministerial cars have incurred fixed penalties as a result of evidence from speed enforcement cameras.

Answer The Agency records driving offences for all drivers whether or not they were driving private or ministerial cars at the time of the offence. Since 1 May 1997, five drivers have received fixed penalty fines following the evidence of speed enforcement cameras of which I estimate that three were incurred driving ministerial cars. In each case, the individual driver met the costs of the fixed penalty fines. I would ask you to note that the Government Car and Despatch Agency does not provide a car and driver for the Home Secretary nor for Ministers below Cabinet rank in the Ministry of Defence.