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Road Safety Bill [Lords]

I share my hon. Friend’s hope that the Bill, particularly the clauses that relate to the exchange of information, will bring an end to that practice. I hope that we can arrive at a situation where the exchange of information with overseas Governments allows us to check vehicles. If they should not be on the road, I would favour their being impounded and confiscated. The Liberal Democrat spokesman mentioned two points of interest; they will be referred to again in Committee, so I shall not go into too much detail. The first related to first aid and whether we should require a person taking a driving test to have a basic knowledge of first aid. At first blush, it is quite a good idea. However, I took my driving test 40 years ago, and if I had been required to learn the basics of first aid then, I would probably have forgotten them by now—so I would not welcome having to advise an injured person I came across by the roadside about the first aid attention he should receive. The idea is worthless unless there is a mechanism for making sure that motorists are kept up to date.