1

House of Commons

Notices of Amendments

given on

Thursday 11 June 2009

Public Bill Committee

---

Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill

Paul Clark

1

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  9,  after ‘section’, insert ‘127(5) or’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would allow the Registrar to suspend an instructor while considering whether to

refuse an application to extend the instructor’s registration, where the Registrar believes the in­

structor would pose a significant threat to the safety of members of the public unless suspended.

Paul Clark

2

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  12,  after ‘considering’, insert ‘whether to refuse the

application for an extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 1.

Paul Clark

3

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  13,  leave out ‘to terminate the registration’ and insert ‘so to

refuse or terminate’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 1.

Paul Clark

4

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  3,  after ‘section’, insert ‘127(5) or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 1.

Paul Clark

5

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  4,  after first ‘section’, insert ‘127(5) or’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 1.

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009

2

Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, continued

Paul Clark

6

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  4,  after second ‘section’, insert ‘127(5) or’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 1.

Paul Clark

7

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  7,  after ‘Registrar’, insert ‘decides not to refuse the

application for an extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would provide for a suspension relating to an application to extend an instruc­

tor’s registration under s127(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (‘RTA 1988’) to end where the Reg­

istrar decides not to refuse that application.

Paul Clark

8

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  8,  after ‘decides’, insert ‘to refuse the application for an

extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would provide for a suspension relating to an application to extend an instruc­

tor’s registration under s127(1) of the RTA 1988 to end where the Registrar refuses that applica­

tion but the decision has not taken effect and the instructor successfully appeals it.

Paul Clark

9

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  11,  after ‘decided’, insert ‘whether to refuse the application

for an extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would provide for a suspension relating to an application to extend an instruc­

tor’s registration under s127(1) of the RTA 1988 to end where the Registrar fails to decide whether

to refuse that application within 75 days of serving a notice under section 127(5) of that Act.

Paul Clark

10

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  13,  after ‘section’, insert ‘127(5) or’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 9.

Paul Clark

11

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  13,  after ‘Registrar’, insert ‘decides not to refuse the

application for an extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would extend the circumstances in which compensation may be payable to those

where the Registrar suspends an instructor pending a decision in respect of an application made

under s127(1) of the RTA 1988, but then decides not to refuse that application.

Paul Clark

12

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  16,  after ‘Registrar’, insert ‘to refuse the application for an

extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would extend the circumstances in which compensation may be payable to those

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009

3

Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, continued

where the Registrar suspends an instructor pending a decision in respect of an application made

under s127(1) of the RTA 1988 and subsequently decides to refuse that application, but the instruc­

tor successfully appeals that decision.

Paul Clark

13

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  19,  after ‘Registrar’, insert ‘to refuse the application for an

extension of the person’s registration or (as the case may be)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would limit compensation so that, where the Registrar decides to refuse the in­

structor’s application under s127(1) of the RTA 1988 and that decision is successfully appealed

after taking effect, it may only relate to any suspension imposed in relation to the application.

Paul Clark

14

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  41,  leave out from ‘may’ to end of line 44 and insert ‘appeal

to the First-tier Tribunal’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment changes the venue for appeals against compensation awards from the Transport

Tribunal to the First-tier Tribunal, which is established under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforce­

ment Act 2007.

Paul Clark

15

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  45,  leave out ‘Transport Tribunal’ and insert ‘First-tier

Tribunal’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

16

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  45,  leave out ‘they consider’ and insert ‘it considers’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

17

Clause  2,  page  4,  line  1,  leave out ‘consider’ and insert ‘considers’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

18

Clause  3,  page  4,  line  15,  after ‘exercise’, insert ‘(whether in individual cases or

otherwise)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would confirm that regulations providing for exemptions from prohibitions con­

cerning registration may give the Registrar a discretion as to whether the exemption should apply

in individual cases (or a discretion in relation to persons more generally).

Paul Clark

19

Clause  3,  page  4,  line  26,  at end insert—

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009

4

Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, continued

‘(5)	Regulations made by virtue of this section may, in particular, make provision for

the payment of fees.’

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would permit fees to be charged in respect of exemptions from prohibitions con­

cerning registration.

Paul Clark

20

Schedule  1,  page  7,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘2A	After subsection (8) of section 127 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52)

(extension of duration of registration) insert—

“(9)	Sections 128(7A) to (7G) and 131A apply in relation to suspending a

person’s registration in connection with an application under

subsection (1) above as if the references in sections 128(7A) to (7G)

and 131A to—

(a)	a notice under section 128(4) were references to a notice

under subsection (5) above, and

(b)	the removal of the person’s name from the register were (or,

in the case of section 128(7E)(d), included) references to the

refusal of the person’s application for the retention of the

person’s name in the register.”’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would enable the Registrar to suspend a person’s registration while considering

an application under s127(1) of the RTA 1988 (as it currently has effect, without the substitution

of that section by Schedule 6 to the Road Safety Act 2006). Provisions relating to compensation

would also apply.

Paul Clark

21

Schedule  1,  page  8,  line  8,  at end insert—

‘4A	After subsection (8) of section 129 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (as it

has effect without the omission of that section by Schedule 6 to the Act of

2006) (licences for giving instruction so as to obtain practical experience)

insert—

“(9)	Sections 130(7) to (13) and 131A apply in relation to suspending a

person’s licence in connection with an application for a new licence in

substitution for a licence current at the date of the application as if—

(a)	the references in sections 130(7) to (13) and 131A to—

(i)	a notice under section 130(3) were references to a

notice under subsection (7) above,

(ii)	the revocation of the licence were (except in section

130(11)(d)) references to the refusal of the person’s

application for a new licence, and

(iii)

the decision not being in effect were references to the

decision not being in effect because the licence has

not expired, and

(b)	section 131A(3), and the words “(whether or not the

Registrar’s decision has taken effect)” in section 131A(2)(b),

were omitted.”’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would enable the Registrar to suspend a person’s licence while considering their

application for a new licence in substitution for a current licence under s129 of the RTA 1988

(without its omission by Schedule 6 to the Road Safety Act 2006). Provisions relating to compen­

Notices of Amendments: 11 June 2009

5

Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, continued

sation would also apply.

Paul Clark

22

Schedule  1,  page  9,  line  11,  leave out from ‘may’ to end of line 14 and insert

‘appeal to the First-tier Tribunal’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

23

Schedule  1,  page  9,  line  15,  leave out ‘Transport Tribunal’ and insert ‘First-tier

Tribunal’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

24

Schedule  1,  page  9,  line  15,  leave out ‘they consider’ and insert ‘it considers’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

25

Schedule  1,  page  9,  line  17,  leave out ‘consider’ and insert ‘considers’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 14.

Paul Clark

26

Schedule  2,  page  9,  line  35,  at end insert—

‘Section 127(9).’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on amendment 20. When the amendments to the RTA 1988 made

by Schedule 6 to the Road Safety Act 2006 are brought into force, the transitory amendment of the

RTA 1988 as it currently has effect will need to be repealed.

Paul Clark

27

Schedule  2,  page  9,  line  36,  at end insert—

‘Section 129(9).’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on amendment 21. When the amendments to the RTA 1988 made

by Schedule 6 to the Road Safety Act 2006 are brought into force, the transitory amendment of the

RTA 1988 as it currently has effect will need to be repealed.

---

Revised 12 June 2009