Test station resolve
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THE GOVERNMENT's plan to transfer hgv testing stations to the private sector is by now "a firm proposal", according to Junior Transport Minister Kenneth Clarke.
"We're firmly committed and are now looking at the options," he told the House of Commons all-party transport committee.
Mr Clarke assured the committee that the success of privatisation depends on whether the Department of Transport retains its present level of supervision. He feels that there is no reason why the system cannot transfer, and at the same time, retain its integrity.
But an often-critical select committee questioned the feasi bility of the Government's proposals. Gordon Bagier (Labour, Sunderland South) said that the committee has not yet met anybody who will argue the Government's case. He also said that there is public disquiet over the present MoT system which is open to anomalies.
Mr Clarke agreed that there is "public dissatisfaction" with the MoT system, but added that there are 15,000 authorised garages to oversee compared with only 91 hgv testing stations.
Neil Carmichael (Labour, Glasgow Kelvingrove) suggested that hgv testing standards could suffer when privatised and that bribery could become more commonplace. Mr Clarke, however was not convinced.
The current hgv testing system achieves no more than a level of satisfaction from industry, claimed Mr Clarke. There is no testing at weekends or evenings as the "Government machine works on a nine to five basis".
In reply to Harry Cowans {Labour, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central) Mr Clarke said that the civil service as a whole is less flexible than the private sector and claimed the private sector was more responsive to customers' needs.
Mr Cowans then asked why the customer is against the change.
Mr Cowans also wondered why the system in Belgium, which is similar to that proposed in Britain, had not been examined in detail. "We'll arrive at our conclusions following discussions with operators' associations rather than other countries," replied Mr Clarke.
A Government-owned holding company is likely to be formed if and when the system is privatised. The "transitional company" may, after disposing of the stations, continue its existence to give a focus for monitoring and regulation.