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Road Safety

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his further intervention. I agree absolutely and encourage the Minister to spell out more precisely the Government's attitude. There is consensus, it is a very worthwhile scheme and there is a genuine point of interest about whether it can be extended throughout England, given its success in Scotland and Wales. I agree with many comments today in favour of the graduated licence. Although I acknowledge that there are some concerns that it might create a punitive system for all young drivers, we must face the facts that the system would protect all drivers, including young and novice drivers. In particular, I support the Transport Committee's recommendation that novice drivers be classed as such, and the proposal that they indicate their status on their vehicle seems sensible. We already have a voluntary system, and giving surrounding drivers warning that a novice is driving the vehicle in front or behind would be helpful to everybody on the road. Have the advantages been considered of making the P-plate scheme compulsory for one year after a driving test? It is currently optional, but there is a lot of support for compulsion, and it would be a small step in the right direction, making other drivers aware that they were driving in proximity to a new or probationary driver. We have heard that drink-driving is still a massive problem on Britain's roads, with the latest figures showing that 17 per cent. of all road deaths occur when someone has been driving under the influence of alcohol. We all know that it is a particular problem among young drivers, and the Department for Transport says that drivers aged 17 to 19 years old are 10 times as likely to have a drink-drive crash as all other ages, but I must say—this will not go down well with every Member who has contributed to the debate—that I am not yet convinced that it means that we should lower the alcohol limit to zero for young and novice drivers.