Derek McDowell (Labour)

It was on a road with which the Minister is familiar.

I agree with the points made with regard to periods of disqualification, which it is right to increase. I used to practice as a solicitor, although I have not been in court for a while. The Minister will be aware that it is common practice that on the earliest day possible, a solicitor or a person who had been disqualified will go to court and apply to get a licence restored. Unless there is some extremely good reason this should not happen, it is normally granted. This makes a mockery of the period of disqualification and reduces it to a period which is too short. The increase to roughly double the current period, or an increase of the four-year period to six years, is a positive development. The restrictions which the Minister has imposed on the capacity of the courts to restore licences early are also positive.