David Norris (Independent)

My cynical friends on the same side of the House are making rubbing gestures with forefinger and thumb suggesting it is about money. I would hate to think that was the case. Some of the reasons for failure are just niggling and sometimes do not reflect the safety issue and the welfare of people on the road. If a car is tested and found to be roadworthy it should be deemed to be roadworthy for the two years. There is no point in punishing the person who buys a second-hand car; it is simply not fair or just. I have also made the point about buses and lorries. Car testing is a very welcome development. I notice that 51% of cars passed up to September. While this is not a very impressive figure, when they were retested 90% of them passed, which is good and shows the system is working.