asked the Minister of Transport how many enforcement officers there are for enforcing Section 73 of the Road Traffic Act 1960, limiting the number of hours during which lorry drivers may drive; and what plans he has for augmenting the number of officers to ensure better enforcement.

The number of officers engaged on this enforcement work varies from time to time since some are also employed on driving test duties. Generally about 140 are so engaged at any one time. There are no plans for augmenting the number at present.

Is it not a fact that there is a good deal of evasion? Surely this is not in the interest of anyone, and least of all other road users?

Our information is that, on the whole, the law is being very actively enforced. I would remind my hon. Friend that last year there were over 12,000 convictions.

Mrs. Slater:

Is the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that there is this widespread evasion and that these people who work long hours become a menace not only to themselves but to other road users? When he is making inquiries into this misuse of the licences, will he take into consideration the fact that people take out B licences and use them for A licence work, so evading taxation and the responsibility which they ought to face up to, and that this is unfair competition with other users?

The enforcement authorities are well aware of this abuse, and I would remind the hon. Lady that the Geddes Committee is at present investigating this very point.

Is it not quite ridiculous that there are only 140 officers to do this work? The hon. and gallant Gentleman says that there have been 12,000 people caught and prosecuted. That is only those caught. I wonder what the figure was of those who got away. Will he have another look at this matter? How does he justify having only 140 men to do a national job of this kind?

I shall certainly take note of the hon. Gentleman's views, but I would point out that since 1958 the number of enforcement officers has been raised proportionately to the increase in the number of vehicles. This, no doubt, is another matter which will be looked into by the Geddes Committee.

Is the hon. and Gallant Gentleman aware that a great deal of evasion is facilitated by the use of dual log books, and is he considering issuing official log books with numbered pages for each vehicle? This would be of great value to a number of drivers who are forced into this dishonest practice of using two log books.

I have nothing to add on the subject of log books to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave quite recently on the same subject in the House. This is a matter which will no doubt be looked into by the Committee and they will no doubt make recommendations.