A FURIOUS assault led by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice was launched yesterday as the Lancashire Telegraph’s Wasted Lives campaign was hotly debated at Westminster.

MPs from all parties were there to turn up the heat on Roads Minster Jim Fitzpatrick.

Mr Prentice said the Government was making a ‘big mistake’ and told Mr Fitzpatrick ministers should listen to the Lancashire Telegraph if they wanted to save lives.

He was backed during the special adjournment debate in Westminster Hall by four members of the influential Transport Select Com-mittee and seven other MPs.

Darwen and Rossendale’s Janet Anderson said graduated licences worked in other countries and should be introduced here.

And Transport Select Commit-tee chairman Louise Ellman said that it was vital the Government got tough.

As part of the Wasted Lives campaign to stop the carnage of young drivers on our road, the Telegraph has called for the introduction of graduated licences, as well as a raft of measures for newly-qualified motorists including limited driving in the evenings, limits to carrying young passengers and limits to driving powerful vehicles.

It is backed by Mr Prentice, Hyndburn MP Greg Pope and the other East Lancashire MPs.

But the Government consultation is proposing extra education before people get their licence rather than such post-test measures, going against the recommendations of the Transport Select Committee.

Mr Prentice, who won the right for the special debate to be staged, said graduated licences were a must if the death toll caused by young male motorists was to stop.

He said: “What I want and what the Telegraph wants and what the people of East Lancashire want are graduated licences, and restrictions on novice motorists.

“Much of what I am saying sounds draconian but then I remind myself of all of the tragedy that has touched so many families. We need these kind of measures.

“It would be a big mistake for the Government to ignore the excellent recommendations from the Transport Select Committee “The statistics make it clear that many young male drivers are a danger to themselves and other road users.

“This is the most obvious cause of avoidable death and it needs to be addressed. The government is looking at the issue but their proposals do not go far enough.”

Mr Fitzpatrick addressed the meeting following speeches from 11 MPs. He said: “We are listening and this is a genuine consultation period.”

GORDON Prentice brandished several Lancashire Telegraph front pages in the debating chamber as he demanded action.

Mr Prentice highlighted several recent headlines on reports of road crashes which read: ‘Man 24 dies in crash’, ‘Another Friday night, another senseless crash’, ‘Not again’ and ‘It ruins lives’.

Mr Prentice said: “More than 22 men and three women have died [in Lancashire] as a result of crashes when a young man was driving in the last six years.

“I had a meeting with the newspaper’s editor recently and he said he was sickened and appalled by the incidents that had been taking place on the region’s roads and that is why the campaign began.

“The Lancashire Telegraph called for a new approach and a new way of looking at the way we train and let young drivers get behind the wheel. When the Telegraph speaks people listen.

“But what is the Govern-ment going to do? The consultation paper Learning To Drive has been published and it proposes an approach of education rather than restriction. It has gone nowhere near far enough.”

In front of a packed public gallery from interested students and members of the public, the meeting began with the address from Mr Prentice.

Backing the Lancashire Telegraph’s Wasted Lives Campaign, he said that unless sweeping changes were made the carnage caused by young male drivers would continue on our roads.

Mr Prentice: “Male drivers under 20 years old are 10 times more likely that other motorists to have an accident.

“It may sound like I am demonising young people but I am not. Too many young men think that when they get behind the wheel they are invincible. But they are not. They consider themselves to better drivers that they are. It is this mindset that we need to work against.”

David Taylor, the MP for north west Leicester, joined the debate following a crash last week that killed six people in his constituency.

He said: “It would be a big mistake to miss this opportunity for an overhaul of the driving licence scheme. I agree with Mr Prentice. More needs to be done and just increasing education is not enough.

Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, told Roads Minister Jim Fitzpatrick: “Just increasing the training and education will not solve the problem of young men driving irresponsibly and showing off. It is not their skills that are the problem it is the attitude that needs to be addressed.”

Darwen and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson said: “As we know from the Lancashire Telegraph campaign this is an incredibly important issue.

“Graduated licences and other restrictions are in place in other countries and must be considered here."

At the end of the speeches, Mr Fitzpatrick said restrictions on drivers once they passed their test would not have the “desired effect”.

He said: “Graduated licences will not crack the problem. We are not convinced on the evidence from other countries. The problems in this country are best addressed by the way we train and educate drivers.”

But he steered clear of backing the wishes of the TSC and Wasted Lives when he said: “We are concerned that introducing restrictions will not have the effect that is being suggested."

Afterwards, Louise Ellman, the chairman of the Transport Select Committee, said: “It is really important that Mr Prentice secured this debate because it brings attention to the issue and gives it a national profile.

“It is critical that we get tough on this issue and use this opportunity to make our voice heard.

“I just hope that the contributions made in this debate form part of the consultation exercise.”

Mr Prentice said afterwards, said: “I wanted to get the Lancashire Telegraph’s position on record at Parliament.

“All six East Lancashire MPs have signed up to the Wasted Lives Campaign and if this is a real consultation then we hope that we will be listened