EEC licence age increase proposal angers MPs
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• MPs annoyed because they were not able to debate the European proposal to raise the driving licence age from 17 to 18 had to leave for their Easter Recess content with a promise from Mr John Peyton, the Minister for Transport Industries, that he would express his reservations about the proposal in Brussels.
"I have considerable sympathy with the reservations which have been expressed in this country since the publication of the draft directive", he told the Commons. "I intend to express these in Brussels at the appropriate time."
Mr Neil Marten (Tory, Banbury), a leading anti-Marketeer, urged Mr Peyton to make it absolutely clear that "this sovereign Parliament" would not tolerate this fussy interference in our way of life.
The raising of the driving age from 17 to 18 was not a negotiable matter, and that was that, declared Mr Marten.
For the Opposition, Mr Fred Mulley asked Mr Peyton to ensure that. the English texts of the draft directive were made available. While there were grave objections to this particular proposal, there were many other proposals in the so-called draft directive to which one could also take objection, he said.
Mr Peyton said he was not quite sure whether his powers extended to the immediate provision of a copy in English, but he would look into the situation.