This week the I presented the First Reading of the Harry Parker Bill; its official title is the Road Traffic (Unlicensed Drivers) Bill, but I and Harry’s family will always know it as the Harry Parker Bill.
Why?
Because Harry Parker, a 14-year-old boy from Swindon North was ran over outside his school, the incident resulted in Harry’s death. This event truly rocked the Swindon community, a young boy of 14 with his whole life ahead of him taken far to soon.
What makes the situation worse is that not only did the driver not possess a valid driver’s licence or insurance, she failed to stop at the scene.
It is my firm belief that no one should get behind the wheel of a car and drive if they are unlicenced to do so, in doing so they are putting lives at risk.
After months of investigation the Police transferred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), unfortunately by this time the time limitations associated with the charges of driving without a license and leaving the scene of an accident had expired. The CPS were instead focussed on bringing the charge of careless driving against the driver.
However, in November 2024 Harry’s Family, along with the people of Swindon North learned that due to issues with the evidence, all charges against the driver would be dropped. After speaking to the family, I contacted Wiltshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for clarification. I left both meetings horrified that neither the CPS nor Wiltshire Police had acted improperly or indeed made mistakes. They followed the letter of the law in its entirety. The problem is the law.
After speaking with Harry’s parents Adam and Kelly, we agreed that if the law let them down, it would be up to us to change it and ensure no other family would have to go through what they had been through.
I then consulted with the fantastic team of clerks in Parliament alongside my Parliamentary Assistant, who I’ll pay a special thanks to for her support in this process. The clerks agreed with me that bringing a Ten-Minute Rule Bill to Parliament would be the best way to bring about the change that the family deserve.
The Ten-Minute Rule Road Traffic (Unlicensed Drivers) Bill seeks to ensure that any unlicensed driver who has never held a valid driving license and causes a fatality is automatically deemed to have been driving carelessly under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. To me and my constituents, this is a common-sense issue, one that was originally recognised in 2006 when the government introduced an offense for driving without a license. However, a Supreme Court ruling later weakened this, allowing individuals who have never even attempted to obtain a license to drive, cause a fatality, and avoid prosecution unless there is clear evidence of dangerous or careless driving. This Bill aims to close that loophole and restore accountability on our roads.
I was pleased that on the 4th of February 2025, the first vote of the Harry Parker Bill or Road Traffic (Unlicensed Drivers) Bill passed by a unanimous vote in the Commons. The Second Reading of the Bill will be on the 13th June 2025 and I’d urge my colleagues in Parliament as well as those in Government to support the measures of the Harry Parker Bill and secure safer roads and Harry’s legacy.
The Harry Parker Bill would ensure unlicensed drivers face the full force of the law for killing someone
