The Immigration Bill 2015
New Schedule 1
Private hire vehicles etc
Metropolitan
Public Carriage Act 1869
(c. 115)
1 The
Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869 is amended as
follows.
2 In section 8(7)
(driver’s licence to be in force for three years unless
suspended or revoked) for “A” substitute “Subject
to section 8A, a”.
3
After section 8
insert—
“8A
Drivers’ licences for persons subject to immigration
control
(1) Subsection (2)
applies if—
(a) a
licence under section 8 is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period (“the leave
period”),
(b) the
person’s leave has not been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation decision),
and
(c) apart from subsection
(2), the period for which the licence would have been in force would
have ended after the end of the leave period.
(2) Transport for London must grant the licence for
a period which ends at or before the end of the leave
period.
(3) Subsection (4)
applies if—
(a) a
licence under section 8 is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period, and
(b) the
person’s leave has been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation
decision).
(4) Transport for
London must grant the licence for a period that does not exceed six
months.
(5) A licence under
section 8 ceases to be in force if the person to whom it was granted
becomes disqualified by reason of the person’s immigration
status from driving a hackney
carriage.
(6) If subsection (5)
applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must, within
the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on which the
person first became disqualified, return to Transport for
London—
(a) the
licence,
(b) the
person’s copy of the licence (if any),
and
(c) the person’s
driver’s badge.
(7) A
person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (6) is
guilty of an offence and liable on summary
conviction—
(a) to a
fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale,
and
(b) in the case of a
continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day
during which an offence continues after
conviction.
(8) For the
purposes of this section a person is disqualified by reason of the
person’s immigration status from driving a hackney carriage if
the person is subject to immigration control and
—
(a) the person has not
been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom,
or
(b) the person’s
leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom—
(i) is
invalid,
(ii) has ceased to
have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation,
cancellation, passage of time or otherwise),
or
(iii) is subject to a
condition preventing the individual from driving a hackney
carriage.
(9) Where a person is
on immigration bail within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the
Immigration Act
2016—
(a) the person is
to be treated for the purposes of this section as if the person had
been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom,
but
(b) any condition as to the
person’s work in the United Kingdom to which the person’s
immigration bail is subject is to be treated for those purposes as a
condition of leave.
(10) For
the purposes of this section a person is subject to immigration control
if under the Immigration Act 1971 the person requires leave to enter or
remain in the United
Kingdom.”
Local
Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (c.
57)
4 The Local Government
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 is amended as
follows.
5 (1) Section 51
(licensing of drivers of private hire vehicles) is amended as
follows.
(2) In subsection
(1)—
(a) in paragraph
(a) after “satisfied” insert “—(i)”,
and
(b) for the
“or” at the end of paragraph (a) substitute
“and
(ii) that the
applicant is not disqualified by reason of the applicant’s
immigration status from driving a private hire vehicle;
or”.
(3) After
subsection (1) insert—
“(1ZA) In determining for the purposes of
subsection (1) whether an applicant is disqualified by reason of the
applicant’s immigration status from driving a private hire
vehicle, a district council must have regard to any guidance issued by
the Secretary of
State.”
6 In section
53(1) (drivers’ licences for hackney carriages and private hire
vehicles)—
(a) in
paragraph (a) for “Every” substitute “Subject to
section 53A, every”,
and
(b) in paragraph (b) after
“1889,” insert “but subject to section
53A,”.
7 After section
53 insert—
“53A
Drivers’ licences for persons subject to immigration
control
(1) Subsection (2)
applies if—
(a) a
licence within section 53(1)(a) or (b) is to be granted to a person who
has been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a
limited period (“the leave
period”);
(b) the
person’s leave has not been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation decision);
and
(c) apart from subsection
(2), the period for which the licence would have been in force would
have ended after the end of the leave
period.
(2) The district
council which grants the licence must specify a period in the licence
as the period for which it remains in force; and that period must end
at or before the end of the leave
period.
(3) Subsection (4)
applies if—
(a) a
licence within section 53(1)(a) or (b) is to be granted to a person who
has been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a
limited period; and
(b) the
person’s leave has been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation
decision).
(4) The district
council which grants the licence must specify a period in the licence
as the period for which it remains in force; and that period must not
exceed six months.
(5) A
licence within section 53(1)(a) ceases to be in force if the person to
whom it was granted becomes disqualified by reason of the
person’s immigration status from driving a private hire
vehicle.
(6) A licence within
section 53(1)(b) ceases to be in force if the person to whom it was
granted becomes disqualified by reason of the person’s
immigration status from driving a hackney
carriage.
(7) If subsection (5)
or (6) applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must,
within the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on
which the person first became disqualified, return the licence and the
person’s driver’s badge to the district council which
granted the licence.
(8) A
person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (7) is
guilty of an offence and liable on summary
conviction—
(a) to a
fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale;
and
(b) in the case of a
continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day
during which an offence continues after
conviction.”
8 (1)
Section 55 (licensing of operators of private hire vehicles) is amended
as follows.
(2) In subsection
(1)—
(a) after
“satisfied” insert “—(a)”,
and
(b) at the end of paragraph
(a) insert “; and
(b) if
the applicant is an individual, that the applicant is
not disqualified by reason of the applicant’s
immigration status from operating a private hire
vehicle.”
(3) After
subsection (1) insert—
“(1A) In determining for
the purposes of subsection (1) whether an applicant is disqualified by
reason of the applicant’s immigration status from operating a
private hire vehicle, a district council must have regard to any
guidance issued by the Secretary of
State.”
(4) In
subsection (2) for “Every” substitute “Subject to
section 55ZA,
every”.
9
After section 55
insert—
“55ZA
Operators’ licences for persons subject to immigration
control
(1) Subsection (2)
applies if—
(a) a
licence under section 55 is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period (“the leave
period”);
(b) the
person’s leave has not been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation decision);
and
(c) apart from subsection
(2), the period for which the licence would have been in force would
have ended after the end of the leave
period.
(2) The district
council which grants the licence must specify a period in the licence
as the period for which it remains in force; and that period must end
at or before the end of the leave
period.
(3) Subsection (4)
applies if—
(a) a
licence under section 55 is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period; and
(b) the
person’s leave has been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation
decision).
(4) The district
council which grants the licence must specify a period in the licence
as the period for which it remains in force; and that period must not
exceed six months.
(5) A
licence under section 55 ceases to be in force if the person to whom it
was granted becomes disqualified by reason of the person’s
immigration status from operating a private hire
vehicle.
(6) If subsection (5)
applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must, within
the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on which the
person first became disqualified, return it to the district council
which granted the licence.
(7)
A person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (6) is
guilty of an offence and liable on summary
conviction—
(a) to a
fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale;
and
(b) in the case of a
continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day
during which an offence continues after
conviction.”
10 (1)
Section 59 (qualification for drivers of hackney carriages) is amended
as follows.
(2) In subsection
(1)—
(a) in paragraph
(a) after “satisfied” insert “—(i)”,
and
(b) for the
“or” at the end of paragraph (a) substitute
“and
(ii) that the
applicant is not disqualified by reason of the applicant’s
immigration status from driving a hackney carriage;
or”.
(3) After
subsection (1)
insert—
“(1ZA) In
determining for the purposes of subsection (1) whether an applicant is
disqualified by reason of the applicant’s immigration status
from driving a hackney carriage, a district council must have regard to
any guidance issued by the Secretary of
State.”
11
In section 61(1) (suspension and revocation of drivers’
licences) before the “or” at the end of paragraph (a)
insert—
“(aa)
that he has since the grant of the licence been convicted of an
immigration offence or required to pay an immigration
penalty;”.
12
In section 62(1) (suspension and revocation of operators’
licences) before the “or” at the end of paragraph (c)
insert—
“(ca) that the operator has since the grant
of the licence been convicted of an immigration offence or required to
pay an immigration
penalty;”.
13 In section
77 (appeals) after subsection (3)
insert—
“(4) On
an appeal under this Part of this Act or an appeal under section 302 of
the Act of 1936 as applied by this section, the court is not entitled
to entertain any question as to
whether—
(a) a person
should be, or should have been, granted leave to enter or remain in the
United Kingdom; or
(b) a person
has, after the date of the decision being appealed against, been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom.”
14 After
section 79
insert—
“79A
Persons disqualified by reason of immigration
status
(1) For the purposes of
this Part of this Act a person is disqualified by reason of the
person’s immigration status from carrying on a licensable
activity if the person is subject to immigration control and
—
(a) the person has not
been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom;
or
(b) the person’s
leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom—
(i) is
invalid;
(ii) has ceased to
have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation,
cancellation, passage of time or otherwise);
or
(iii) is subject to a
condition preventing the individual from carrying on the licensable
activity.
(2) Where a person is
on immigration bail within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the
Immigration Act
2016—
(a) the person is
to be treated for the purposes of this Part of this Act as if the
person had been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom;
but
(b) any condition as to the
person’s work in the United Kingdom to which the person’s
immigration bail is subject is to be treated for those purposes as a
condition of leave.
(3) For the
purposes of this section a person is subject to immigration control if
under the Immigration Act 1971 the person requires leave to enter or
remain in the United
Kingdom.
(4) For the purposes
of this section a person carries on a licensable activity if the
person—
(a) drives a
private hire vehicle;
(b)
operates a private hire vehicle;
or
(c) drives a hackney
carriage.
79B Immigration
offences and immigration
penalties
(1) In this Part of
this Act “immigration offence”
means—
(a) an offence
under any of the Immigration
Acts;
(b) an offence under
section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 of attempting to commit an
offence within paragraph (a);
or
(c) an offence under section
1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 of conspiracy to commit an offence
within paragraph (a).
(2) In
this Part of this Act “immigration
penalty” means a penalty
under—
(a) section 15 of
the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (“the 2006
Act”); or
(b) section 23
of the Immigration Act 2014 (“the 2014
Act”).
(3) For the
purposes of this Part of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice
under section 15 of the 2006 Act has been given is not to be treated as
having been required to pay an immigration penalty
if—
(a) the person is
excused payment by virtue of section 15(3) of that Act;
or
(b) the penalty is cancelled by
virtue of section 16 or 17 of that
Act.
(4) For the purposes of
this Part of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section
15 of the 2006 Act has been given is not to be treated as having been
required to pay an immigration penalty until such time
as—
(a) the period for
giving a notice of objection under section 16 of that Act has expired
and the Secretary of State has considered any notice given within that
period; and
(b) if a notice of
objection was given within that period, the period for appealing under
section 17 of that Act has expired and any appeal brought within that
period has been finally determined, abandoned or
withdrawn.
(5) For the purposes
of this Part of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under
section 23 of the 2014 Act has been given is not to be treated as
having been required to pay an immigration penalty
if—
(a) the person is
excused payment by virtue of section 24 of that Act;
or
(b) the penalty is cancelled
by virtue of section 29 or 30 of that
Act.
(6) For the purposes of
this Part of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section
23 of the 2014 Act has been given is not to be treated as having been
required to pay an immigration penalty until such time
as—
(a) the period for
giving a notice of objection under section 29 of that Act has expired
and the Secretary of State has considered any notice given within that
period; and
(b) if a notice of
objection was given within that period, the period for appealing under
section 30 of that Act has expired and any appeal brought within that
period has been finally determined, abandoned or
withdrawn.”
Private
Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 (c.
34)
15 The Private Hire
Vehicles (London) Act 1998 is amended as
follows.
16 In section 1(1)
(meaning of “private hire vehicle”
etc)—
(a) omit the
“and” at the end of paragraph (a),
and
(b) at the end of paragraph
(b) insert “; and
(c)
“operate”, in relation to a private hire vehicle, means
to make provision for the invitation or acceptance of, or to accept,
private hire bookings in relation to the
vehicle.”
17 (1) Section
3 (London operator’s licences) is amended as
follows.
(2) In subsection (3)
for the “and” at the end of paragraph (a)
substitute—
“(aa)
if the applicant is an individual, the applicant is not disqualified by
reason of the applicant’s immigration status from operating a
private hire vehicle;
and”
(3) After
subsection (3)
insert—
“(3A) In
determining for the purposes of subsection (3) whether an applicant is
disqualified by reason of the applicant’s immigration status
from operating a private hire vehicle, the licensing authority must
have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of
State.”
(4) In
subsection (5) for “A” substitute
“Subject to section 3A,
a”.
18
After section 3
insert—
“3A
London PHV operator’s licences for persons subject to
immigration control
(1)
Subsection (2) applies
if—
(a) a London PHV
operator’s licence is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period (“the leave period”);
(b) the person’s leave has not been extended
by virtue of section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971
(continuation of leave pending variation decision);
and
(c) apart from subsection
(2), the period for which the licence would have been granted would
have ended after the end of the leave
period.
(2) The licence must be
granted for a period which ends at or before the end of the leave
period.
(3) Subsection (4)
applies if—
(a) a London
PHV operator’s licence is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period; and
(b) the
person’s leave has been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation
decision).
(4) The licence must
be granted for a period which does not exceed six
months.
(5) A London PHV
operator’s licence ceases to be in force if the person to whom
it was granted becomes disqualified by reason of the person’s
immigration status from operating a private hire
vehicle.
(6) If subsection (5)
applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must, within
the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on which the
person first became disqualified, return it the licensing
authority.
(7) A person who,
without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (6) is guilty of an
offence and liable on summary
conviction—
(a) to a
fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale;
and
(b) in the case of a
continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day
during which an offence continues after
conviction.”
19 (1)
Section 13 (London PHV driver’s licences) is amended as
follows.
(2) In subsection (2)
for the “and” at the end of paragraph (a)
substitute—
“(aa)
the applicant is not disqualified by reason of the applicant’s
immigration status from driving a private hire vehicle;
and”
(3) After
subsection (2)
insert—
“(2A) In
determining for the purposes of subsection (2) whether an applicant is
disqualified by reason of the applicant’s immigration status
from driving a private hire vehicle, the licensing authority must have
regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of
State.”
(4) In
subsection (5) at the beginning of paragraph (c) insert “subject
to section 13A,”.
20
After section 13
insert—
“13A
London PHV driver’s licences for persons subject to immigration
control
(1) Subsection (2)
applies if—
(a) a London
PHV driver’s licence is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period (“the leave
period”);
(b) the
person’s leave has not been extended by virtue of
section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation
of leave pending variation decision);
and
(c) apart from subsection
(2), the period for which the licence would have been
granted would have ended after the end of the leave
period.
(2) The licence must be
granted for a period which ends at or before the end of the leave
period.
(3) Subsection (4)
applies if—
(a) a London
PHV driver’s licence is to be granted to a person who has been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited
period; and
(b) the person’s leave has been extended by
virtue of section 3C of the Immigration Act
1971 (continuation of leave pending variation
decision).
(4) The licence must
be granted for a period which does not exceed six
months.
(5) A London PHV
driver’s licence ceases to be in force if the person to whom it
was granted becomes disqualified by reason of the person’s
immigration status from driving a private hire
vehicle.
(6) If subsection (5)
applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must, within
the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on which the
person first became disqualified, return the licence and the
person’s driver’s badge to the licensing
authority.
(7) A person who,
without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (6) is guilty of an
offence and liable on summary
conviction—
(a) to a
fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale;
and
(b) in the case of a
continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day
during which an offence continues after
conviction.”
21 (1)
Section 16 (power to suspend or revoke licences) is amended as
follows.
(2) In subsection (2)
before the “or” at the end of paragraph (a)
insert—
“(aa) the
licence holder has, since the grant of the licence, been convicted of
an immigration offence or required to pay an immigration
penalty;”.
(3) In
subsection (4) at the end of paragraph (a)
insert—
“(aa) the
licence holder has, since the grant of the licence, been convicted of
an immigration offence or required to pay an immigration
penalty;”.
22 In section
25 (appeals) after subsection (7)
insert—
“(8) On
an appeal under this Act to the magistrates’ court or the Crown
Court, the court is not entitled to entertain any question as to
whether—
(a) a person
should be, or should have been, granted leave to enter or remain in the
United Kingdom; or
(b) a person
has, after the date of the decision being appealed against, been
granted leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom.”
23 After
section 35
insert—
“35A
Persons disqualified by reason of immigration
status
(1) For the purposes of
this Act a person is disqualified by reason of the person’s
immigration status from carrying on a licensable activity if the person
is subject to immigration control and
—
(a) the person has not
been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom;
or
(b) the person’s
leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom—
(i) is
invalid;
(ii) has ceased to
have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation,
cancellation, passage of time or otherwise);
or
(iii) is subject to a
condition preventing the individual from carrying on the licensable
activity.
(2) Where a person is
on immigration bail within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the
Immigration Act
2016—
(a) the person is
to be treated for the purposes of this Part as if the person had been
granted leave to enter the United Kingdom;
but
(b) any condition as to the
person’s work in the United Kingdom to which the person’s
immigration bail is subject is to be treated for those purposes as a
condition of leave.
(3) For the
purposes of this section a person is subject to immigration control if
under the Immigration Act 1971 the person requires leave to enter or
remain in the United
Kingdom.
(4) For the purposes
of this section a person carries on a licensable activity if the
person—
(a) operates a private hire vehicle;
or
(b) drives a private hire
vehicle.
35B Immigration
offences and immigration
penalties
(1) In this Act
“immigration offence”
means—
(a) an offence
under any of the Immigration
Acts;
(b) an offence under
section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 of attempting to commit an
offence within paragraph (a);
or
(c) an offence under section
1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 of conspiracy to commit an offence
within paragraph (a).
(2) In
this Act “immigration penalty” means a penalty
under—
(a) section 15 of
the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (“the 2006
Act”), or
(b) section 23
of the Immigration Act 2014 (“the 2014
Act”).
(3) For the
purposes of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section 15
of the 2006 Act has been given is not to be treated as having been
required to pay an immigration penalty
if—
(a) the person is
excused payment by virtue of section 15(3) of that Act;
or
(b) the penalty is cancelled
by virtue of section 16 or 17 of that
Act.
(4) For the purposes of
this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section 15 of the 2006
Act has been given is not to be treated as having been required to pay
an immigration penalty until such time
as—
(a) the period for
giving a notice of objection under section 16 of that Act has expired
and the Secretary of State has considered any notice given within that
period; and
(b) if a notice of
objection was given within that period, the period for appealing under
section 17 of that Act has expired and any appeal brought within that
period has been finally determined, abandoned or
withdrawn.
(5) For the purposes
of this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section 23 of the
2014 Act has been given is not to be treated as having been required to
pay an immigration penalty
if—
(a) the person is
excused payment by virtue of section 24 of that Act;
or
(b) the penalty is cancelled
by virtue of section 29 or 30 of that
Act.
(6) For the purposes of
this Act a person to whom a penalty notice under section 23 of the 2014
Act has been given is not to be treated as having been required to pay
an immigration penalty until such time
as—
(a) the period for
giving a notice of objection under section 29 of that Act has expired
and the Secretary of State has considered any notice given within that
period; and
(b) if a notice of
objection was given within that period, the period for appealing under
section 30 of that Act has expired and any appeal brought within that
period has been finally determined, abandoned or
withdrawn.”
24 In
section 36 (interpretation) at the appropriate place
insert—
““operate”
has the meaning given in section 1(1);”.”
—(James
Brokenshire.)
This
amendment amends the licensing regimes for taxis and private hire
vehicles in England and Wales to prevent illegal working in these
sectors. It includes the addition of requirements for licence grant to
be conditional on leave and for licence length to be limited by a
person’s leave
duration.
Brought
up, read the First and Second time, and added to the
Bill.
Column number: 549
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Leeds appear to be left a little behind by the Immigration Bill as they later announce this.
PRospective taxi drivers in Leeds are to face stricter checks after “safeguarding concerns” were raised about the current process for handing out licences.
Applicants from outside the UK will have to provide more information before they pass the ‘fit and proper person’ test.
It follows the inquiries into the Rotherham grooming scandal, which found that taxis had been used to ferry children around for exploitation.
A report to Leeds City Council’s licensing committee said there was a “need to proceed quickly due to safeguarding concerns”.
The committee heard more than eight out of 10 Leeds taxi drivers come from Pakistan.
At the moment, decisions are often made on the basis of ‘certificates of good character’ from the applicant’s country of origin, which can be unreliable.
The report said: “Supporting references are generally vague with none or little meaningful information relevant to the responsibilities of the role applied for. It is often the case that the authors of such references have a personal, community or business interest in supplying a favourable reference.”
Under the new proposals, non-UK applicants may be asked to supply character references from a UK professional and a statutory declaration from a solicitor supporting the application as well as information on their criminal record in other countries.
Coun Brian Selby said: “If we don’t have a strong policy and something goes wrong, all hell will be let loose upon us.”
Des Broster, head of taxi licensing, said: “The purpose of this is to say public safety is paramount.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/non-uk-taxi-drivers-face-stricter-fit-and-proper-person-tests-in-leeds-1-7577940
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Leeds appear to be left a little behind by the Immigration Bill as they later announce this.
PRospective taxi drivers in Leeds are to face stricter checks after “safeguarding concerns” were raised about the current process for handing out licences.
Applicants from outside the UK will have to provide more information before they pass the ‘fit and proper person’ test.
It follows the inquiries into the Rotherham grooming scandal, which found that taxis had been used to ferry children around for exploitation.
A report to Leeds City Council’s licensing committee said there was a “need to proceed quickly due to safeguarding concerns”.
The committee heard more than eight out of 10 Leeds taxi drivers come from Pakistan.
At the moment, decisions are often made on the basis of ‘certificates of good character’ from the applicant’s country of origin, which can be unreliable.
The report said: “Supporting references are generally vague with none or little meaningful information relevant to the responsibilities of the role applied for. It is often the case that the authors of such references have a personal, community or business interest in supplying a favourable reference.”
Under the new proposals, non-UK applicants may be asked to supply character references from a UK professional and a statutory declaration from a solicitor supporting the application as well as information on their criminal record in other countries.
Coun Brian Selby said: “If we don’t have a strong policy and something goes wrong, all hell will be let loose upon us.”
Des Broster, head of taxi licensing, said: “The purpose of this is to say public safety is paramount.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/non-uk-taxi-drivers-face-stricter-fit-and-proper-person-tests-in-leeds-1-7577940
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