DISC Meeting Nottingham 2005 Page |
Driving Instructors Scottish Council D.I.S.C. |
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REPORT ON THE MEETING OF CONSULTATIVE BODIES IN NOTTINGHAM 22 MARCH 2005 Paul Butler led the meeting which was attended by DISC, MSA, DIA, BSM, AA and DSA. Paul told the meeting that the Road Safety Bill's progress through the various Parliamentary stages was almost completed. He said that the Bill included powers to make available to the public, information which would ensure that they were better informed and better able to choose a driving instructor. He pointed out that the powers given by the Bill were ‘free-standing' and they therefore gave the Minister scope in deciding exactly what he wanted to do rather then being bound by too narrow definitions but this imposed on him an obligation to consult before making regulations. The purpose of the meeting was, therefore, to listen to the industry's views on the information it thought would be helpful to learner drivers and what information should be publicly available. He stressed that there were no plans or even drafts already drawn up. He also said that the overwhelming weight of opinion and pressure was that the public should have access to information. There was very little variation in the views expressed by the industry representatives. On the positive side, there was an acceptance that the public should have access to the list of Registered instructors although there was some disagreement as to the detail that should be available with suggestions that addresses and telephone numbers should not be published. There was a suggestion that there could be some ‘voluntary fields' in the database which instructors could opt to complete and even possible up-date themselves. There was some discussion on the merits of allowing instructors to specify the area they worked in and to specific details such as type of car and hours of work. Most felt that the register should not seek to provide the services of Yellow pages and that all that was necessary was to make public the names of those registered although it was pointed out that there would have to be some details which would allow the learner to differentiate between any two instructors with the same name. Looking to future regulation of other areas of driver training, it was generally agreed that the register should show the ‘description' of the activity for which the instructor was registered and perhaps the services he could provide. Paul Butler felt that Ministers would need to see something which reflected on the performance of the ADI. The industry was most vociferous in its opposition to the publishing of either grades or pass rates. The defence of this view was detailed and extensive with strong and very pertinent and persuasive points being raise by all the representatives. The pitfalls were described in vivid detail, as were the ways in which unscrupulous instructors would capitalise on the opportunities the disclosure of pass rates or grades would allow. Indeed the industry's submission on these issues took up the largest part of the meeting. No decisions were taken and no agreements made at this meeting
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Last modified: Tuesday, 15. May 2007