| Previous Section | Home Page |
Goods Vehicles
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the differences in safety regimes between operator licence exempted vehicles and licensed vehicles ; (2) if he will list by type the numbers of vehicles which are exempt from holding a goods vehicle operator's licence ;
(3) what studies have been carried out to determine whether operator licence exempted vehicles are more or less likely to be involved in accidents than licensed vehicles ;
(4) how many vehicles are exempted from goods operator licensing regulations.
Mr. Key : Applicants for operator licences must satisfy financial requirements and requirements of good repute and professional competence or fitness to operate. They must show that they have adequate maintenance arrangements, and operators of goods vehicles must also satisfy the licensing authorities that they have an environmentally acceptable operating centre.
Whether or not they are covered by operator licensing, all goods vehicles, with some minor exceptions, are subject
Column 542
to the same roadworthiness requirements, including annual roadworthiness tests and possible roadside enforcement checks. All goods vehicles, apart from certain specialised types, are also subject to drivers' hours and tachograph regulations, although drivers of vehicles which do not require an operator's licence are exempt from the need to keep records under domestic drivers' hours legislation.The classes of vehicles exempt from goods operator licensing comprise 84, as amended. The main categories are :
tractors when hauling agricultureal and certain other equipment ; dual- purpose vehicles and their trailers ;
vehicles used between private premises and not exceeding 6 miles by road in any one week ;
funeral vehicles ;
police and fire brigade vehicles and ambulances ;
vehicles used for fire-fighting or rescue operations at mines ; vehicles used for test or trial ;
vehicles used under a trade licence ;
United Kingdom and visiting forces vehicles ;
trailers used for road maintenance or construction ;
road rollers ;
Coastguard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution vehicles ; vehicles with certain fixed equipment ;
local authority weights and measures vehicles ;
local authority civil defence vehicles ;
steam-propelled vehicles ;
tower wagons or trailers ;
vehicles used within aerodromes ;
electrically propelled vehicles ;
showman's goods vehicles and trailers ;
certain vehicles first used before 1 January 1977 with a gross weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not 3 tons ;
vehicles used by a highway authority for weighbridge purposes ; water, gas, electricity and telephone emergency vehicles ; recovery vehicles ;
vehicles used for snow clearing or the distribution of grit, salt or other materials on icy roads ;
vehicles going to or from a test station.
We have no information on the number of vehicles exempted from operator licensing, nor am I aware of any studies on whether operator licence exempt vehicles are more or less likely to be involved in accidents than those within the operator licensing system.
Vocational Drivers
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on procedures available to vocational drivers in other member states of the European Community to appeal against the refusal of a licence on medical grounds.
Mr. Key : Our information on appeal arrangements elsewhere in the European Community is currently incomplete. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether appeals against refusal of LGV/LPV licences which are medically resolved at the DVLA are receiving an adequate level of consideration, of numbers of vocational drivers proceeding to the final level of appeal at magistrates courts and of the costs to the individual vocational driver of pursuing an appeal to the magistrates courts.
Mr. Key : Notifications of appeals which are resolved at DVLA are considered by the agency's medical adviser and,
Column 543
if necessary, the legal adviser, who take account of any fresh medical evidence provided by the appellants or their doctors. Appellants are required to pay a small lodging fee plus the cost of their counsel or expert witnesses if used.Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether representative numbers of appeals against DVLA medical decisions on LGV/LPV vocational drivers' licences are going to the magistrates courts ; and whether sufficient advice is available to the courts on the medical issues involved.
Mr. Key : The number of appeals against medical decisions on LGV/PCV licences has remained fairly constant over recent years. From April 1992 to September 1993 DVLA's medical section handled 54,786 LGV/PCV applications/notifications. Of these 7,036 applicants/drivers were refused licences or had licences revoked. An intention to appeal against the decision was lodged by 257 individuals of which 15 proceeded to court.
The court is provided with a report from the DVLA medical adviser, who also attends the hearing and will provide clarification on the medical issues involved if required. Appellants are also free to provide their own medical experts.
Vehicle Operator Licensing
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each traffic area, the number of goods vehicle operator licences revoked in 1990, 1991 and 1992 ; and what were the reasons in each case why the licences were revoked.
Mr. Key : The numbers of licences revoked are given in the "Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. The reasons for revocation in each case could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each traffic area the number and nature of objections and representations received against the issue of goods vehicle operator licences in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Key : Information on objections and representations is published each year for the period 1 April to 31 March in the "Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicles exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing were involved in road traffic accidents in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Key : The numbers of exempt vehicles involved in road traffic accidents is not available.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether emergency vehicles operated by public utility companies are exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : A vehicle being held ready for use in an emergency by an undertaking for the supply of water, electricity, gas or telephone service is listed as exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing in schedule 5 to the
Column 544
Goods Vehicles (Operators' Licences, Qualifications and Fees) Regulation 1984, as amended. We keep all exemptions under review.Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the organisations and individuals who have responded to his consultation paper on the deregulation of goods vehicle operator licensing.
Mr. Key : Comments were received from the following associations representing the interests of those in the transport industries : Freight Transport Association
Road Haulage Association
Bus and Coach Council
Vehicle Builders and Repairs Association
British Association of Removers
National Farmers Union
United Kingdom Agricultural Supplies Trade Association Ltd. Federation of Small Business
National Association of Waste Disposal Contractors
British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
Comments were received also from the :
Council on Tribunals
Transport Tribunal
Traffic Commissioners
There were in addition over 100 responses from individual operators, local authorities and others having an interest in the operator licensing provisions.
Rail Franchising Director
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to appoint the franchising director ; and how rapidly he would expect him to enter into discussions with the potential lessors of rail rolling stock.
Mr. Freeman : The Franchising Director will be appointed shortly after Royal Assent to the Railways Bill. The Franchising Director-designate is already involved in discussions about the establishment of rolling stock leasing companies and will be able to enter into substantive discussions with potential lessors of rail rolling stock once he is formally appointed.
Buses
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the names and addresses of all bus companies which have been found guilty of operating vehicles which failed to meet the minimum requirements of maintenance standards ; what assessment he has made of the operations of the vehicle inspectorate and traffic commissioners in this respect ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The names and addresses of the relevant bus companies are not readily available. The vehicle inspectorate and the traffic commissioners publish annual reports on their activities including the enforcement of maintenance standards. The Department maintains regular liaison with both the inspectorate and the traffic commissioners. An annual review is undertaken of the targets set for roadside checks and maintenance inspections of vehicles by the vehicle inspectorate.
Tobacco and Alcohol Imports
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to check for overloading of private vehicles returning from France importing tobacco and alcohol products for personal use.
Column 545
Mr. Key : Privately operated light goods vehicles and minibuses are subject to weight checks by examiners from the vehicle inspectorate and local authorities and can be prohibited where they are found to be overloaded. Vehicles are checked at ports and other locations in the same way as are heavy commercial vehicles. Drivers can also be prosecuted for using a vehicle which is dangerously overloaded.
Accident, Sowerby Bridge
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations have been carried out into the Sowerby bridge road traffic accident on 6 September.
Mr. Key : The lorry involved in the accident has been examined both by the police and by the vehicle inspectorate. I understand the operator of the vehicle is helping with further inquiries.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the heavy goods vehicle involved in the road traffic accident on 6 September at Sowerby bridge was (a) a motorway maintenance vehicle or (b) exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing.
Mr. Key : Neither. The vehicle was specified on a goods vehicle operator's licence.
A Guide to Making Representations"
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list where, other than traffic area offices, the publication "A Guide to Making Representations" can be obtained.
Mr. Key : The guide is also available from the traffic area co- ordination division of the Department of Transport, Room P2/029B, 2 Marsham street, SW1P 3EB.
Traffic Area Network
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision on the possibility of agency status for the traffic area network.
Mr. Key : We are currently examining the scope for applying next steps principles to the traffic area network. I hope to announce a decision soon.
Nuclear Safety
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the containers used to transport plutonium-contaminated materials from the Drigg nuclear disposal site to Sellafield meet current International Atomic Energy Agency regulations.
Mr. Freeman : No plutonium-contaminated materials have been moved from Drigg to Sellafield.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police Officers
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of serving police officers in England and Wales who are ethnically Romanic and gipsy by origin.
Column 546
Mr. Charles Wardle : This information is not collected.
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the establishment number of police officers for each county in England and Wales ; and what is the ratio of police officers to population for each county.
Mr. Charles Wardle : With one exception, the information requested can be found in the appendix to the annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary 1992, a copy of which is in the Library.
Since December 1992 the formal establishment of Kent county constabulary has been increased by 40 posts, all for policing the channel tunnel. These posts are subject to reimbursement of full costs, by the tunnel operator. The establishment of the force is now 3,136 and the ratio of police to population 1 : 491.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish life expectancy tables for retired police officers ; and whether such information was provided to and examined by the Sheehy inquiry.
Mr. Charles Wardle : No. Aggregate data from which such tables would be derived are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Cautions
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the current guidelines on cautioning, with particular reference to the categories of offences and persons who receive cautions.
Mr. Maclean : The current guidance to the police on the use of cautioning is set out in Home Office Circular 59/1990, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. I am about to consult interested parties on the content of some supplementary guidance which I have decided that it is now necessary to issue.
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest available figures on cautioning ; and what the figures were (a) 12 months ago and (b) two years ago.
Mr. Maclean : Information for the years 1990 to 1992, which is provisional, is given in the table. 1993 data will not be available until autumn 1994.
Number of offenders cautioned and as a percentage of offenders found
guilty or cautioned 1990 to 92<1>
England and Wales
Offence/Year |Cautioned |Cautioning rate
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Indictable offences<2>
1990 |166,300 |33
1991 |179,900 |35
1992<1> |216,200 |41
Summary offences (excluding motoring offences)
1990 |102,800 |18
1991 |98,900 |18
1992<1> |105,100 |18
Total (excluding summary motoring offences)
1990 |269,100 |25
1991 |278,800 |26
1992<1> |321,300 |29
<1> Provisional.
<2> Includes triable either way.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the highest award given in (a) Merseyside and (b) Liverpool by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest date.
Mr. Maclean : The board does not keep information on the payment of awards by locality.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department what are his plans for putting the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board on a statutory basis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : There are no plans to make the present criminal injuries compensation scheme statutory since, as previously announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary, the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke), on 23 November 1992, column 457, it is to be replaced next year by a new scheme, based on a tariff of awards. Details of the new scheme will be set out in a White Paper later in the year.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long is the average waiting time for the settling of a case with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The board does not maintain statistics on the average time taken to deal with a case. However,
Column 548
paragraph 6 of the 28th annual report of the board (Cm 2122), a copy of which is held in the Library of the House, does provide some information about the time taken to resolve cases.Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest date.
Mr. Maclean : Appendix A to the 28th annual report of the Board (Cm 2122), a copy of which is held in the Library of the House, shows that in the period 1 August 1964 to 31 March 1992 a total of £757,244,992 had been paid out in compensation. Since then provisional figures indicate that a further £224.78 million has been paid out in the 18 months ending 30 September 1993. That latter figure is, of course, subject to audit.
Young People (Custody)
Ms Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) 15 and 16-year-olds and (b) 17 to 21-year-olds were sentenced to custody in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months.
| Next Section
| Home Page |