Road Safety Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 1:30 pm ar 20 Ebrill 2006.
Nicholas Winterton
Ceidwadwyr, Macclesfield
We now come to new Clause 18, and we have a new face—Mr. Alistair Carmichael.
Alistair Carmichael
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)
I beg to move, That the Clause be read a Second time.
Thank you, Sir Nicholas, although I am not sure that I am so much a new face as what is known in this trade as a retread, although this is the first time that I have had occasion to welcome you back to the Chair and to move the motion for a new clause.
I hope that the new clause can be dealt with in fairly short compass. The title says it all. It would empower the Secretary of State to introduce regulations prohibiting the retro-fitting—that is a ghastly word, but it seems to be the term of art used—of bull bars to vehicles. We all know what we mean by such things: they are pretty hideous appendages, to four-wheel drive vehicles in particular. In this day and age, they have limited use in the rural context. In my youth, I might have had occasion to use them, as a farmer’s son, but they are generally not regarded as being best practice for animal husbandry. I do not think even that many involved in agriculture or sporting activities would have any real clamant need for them. Certainly in a town or city they are a menace. They significantly increase the likelihood of a fatality resulting from an accident involving a motorised vehicle and a pedestrian.
As such vehicles are generally higher sprung, bull bars are particular dangerous for small children, who are more likely to be hit on the head and sustain head injuries, and for older people who are much more likely to sustain bone injuries to the hip. The time has come for us to say that there really is no need for the retro-fitting of bull bars, and I hope that the Minister agrees.
Stephen Ladyman
Minister of State, Department for Transport
I entirely agree. I see no place for bull bars on the roads of the United Kingdom. I suppose that they may have some use if one is driving a Land Rover through the African plains chasing rhinoceroses for photographic purposes, but since there are few rhinoceroses in London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom, I can see no reason for them whatever. They are unsafe. They cause damage to pedestrians. The hon. Gentleman need not press his new Clause to a Division because I can assure him that the European Union is already alive to the problem. Consultation with the EU has led to a directive that will ban the retro-fitting of bull bars. We are currently in the process of transposing it into UK law. It will become mandatory from next May, so the objective of the new clause will be achieved.
Greg Knight
Chair, Procedure Committee
Will the Minister confirm that the new directive will not have a retrospective effect wider than the problem of bull bars? For example, can he confirm that it will not prohibit the continued display of, for example, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” on a vintage Rolls-Royce?
Stephen Ladyman
Minister of State, Department for Transport
Once again, the right hon. Gentleman puts his finger on the nub of political debate. My postbag contains nothing but letters on this very subject. I can assure him that the “Spirit of Ecstasy” does not count as a bull bar, nor will the directive ban the fitting of devices to the front of vehicles that make them safer. People may wish to retro-fit equipment to the front of their car to improve its safety to pedestrians and that will also be allowed under the new directive. With those assurances, I hope that the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland will withdraw the motion.
Alistair Carmichael
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)
If the Minister is not careful he may rekindle in me some latent enthusiasm for the European Union. In view of his comments, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
