Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 February 1964.
Mr Barnett Janner
, Leicester North West
12:00,
12 February 1964
asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that motorists whose vehicles are the property of a partnership or a company seldom know that drivers of such vehicles are not covered for personal injury even under a comprehensive policy and whether he will introduce legislation to make compulsory insurance for injury to drivers of such vehicles.
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
I am not aware of any general lack of knowledge on this point. I do not propose to add to the existing provisions of the Road Traffic Act on compulsory insurance.
Mr Barnett Janner
, Leicester North West
Will the Minister make further inquiries? Is he aware that not one of the motorists to whom I have spoken knew that this provision obtained, that there was no possibility of getting a claim at all by a person who happened to be travelling in a car belonging to a partnership or driving a car belonging to a partnership or corporation? Will the Minister do something to see that this provision is generally known to the public, so that people may be protected against the consequences of a provision of which they know nothing at the present?
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
If the driver of such a vehicle is injured by another's negligence, he is covered by the provisions of the compulsory third party insurance under the Road Traffic Act, 1960. If there is no negligence by the other driver, any accident arising out of or in the course of employment attracts benefit under the Industrial Injuries Act for which insurance is compulsory for all employed persons.
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.