Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Smith Excerpts
Thursday 23rd October 2014

(9 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Goodwill Portrait Mr Goodwill
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All the taxis will have been licensed, albeit by a neighbouring authority. I cannot see the difference between getting into a minicab in York to go to Scarborough, so I am being driven around Scarborough in a York minicab, and a firm in Scarborough ordering a York cab for me because it is so busy owing to the success of our resort.

Julian Smith Portrait Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
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I urge the Government to look one more time at the provisions in the Deregulation Bill, which is currently before the Lords. In northern towns such as Skipton, taxis have been a key part of the problem of child sexual exploitation.

Robert Goodwill Portrait Mr Goodwill
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It is up to licensing authorities to carry out all the necessary checks. If people who are not the designated driver are driving vehicles, it is a matter for enforcement. The changes that the Government propose would make no difference to that.