asked the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has been monitoring the growth of private hirings or contracting of bus services driven by part-time drivers; and if he has any information available which might indicate the number of accidents which occurred involving such private contractors.

No information is available on a national level concerning the employment of part-time drivers on public service vehicles; nor do statistics of road accidents distinguish contract carriages from others. Research which may yield some information on the latter point is in hand.