Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many abnormal load movement notifications were received by National Highways Yorkshire and North East in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
For the years that information is available, the figures are:
2022 – 71,849
2023 – 115,931
2024 – 156,591
2025 to end October – 149,619
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), under which special order certificate the tram movement from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024 was made.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The trams were moving under Special Order permit (certificate) number P37/2024 signed on the 29th January 2024 cleared for in Special Order application ref: RFS/2988.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), under which movement classification the movement notification to National Highways about the tram movement from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024 was made.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The actual movement notification for the tram movements was submitted under ‘STGO AIL Cat 3’ on ref: RFS/3062 on the 25th January 2024.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), whether any special order other than that referenced in Special Order P35/2024 dated 29 January 2024 was granted under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for the movement of a tram from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Yes. In addition to the above referenced Special Order P35/2024, a second application was also cleared on 29th January 2024 for tram movements between the same two sites, with a Special Order number of P37/2024.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), what was the (1) start, and (2) end, date and time included in the notification to National Highways of the movement of a tram from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The start date of the notification was 02 February 2024 at 0000. The end date of the notification was 01 March 2024 at 2359.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), what was the date and time of the notification to National Highways about the tram movement from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The notification was sent at 25/01/2024 at 18:10.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which special orders the Secretary of State has made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in connection with the Baker Viaduct project; and for each special order, what were the date of the movement, the length and width of the load, the site where the piece was manufactured, its destination, and details of the abnormality which brought it outside of the provisions of the Road Vehicles Authorisation of Special Types (General) Order 2003.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I can confirm that no special exemptions have been issued for the Baker Viaduct Project under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of requiring operators of mobile cranes to be licensed in a similar way to those licensed under the Goods Vehicles Licensing of Operators Act 1995.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Mobile cranes mounted on an HGV chassis are not exempt from the requirements contained in the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995. However, cranes which are specially built, or adapted for some lifting operations are exempt from operator licensing, and other regulations, covering Construction and Use, Authorised Weight, and Goods Vehicle Type Approval Regulations. These specially built vehicles are instead authorised to be used on the public highway by Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 (STGO). The rationale for the difference is that these vehicles are typically used for the purposes of construction and demolition and are normally only used on the public highway on a limited basis to move between sites.
The Department for Transport has previously considered bringing mobile cranes which are not based on an HGV chassis into the scope of operator licensing, most recently when undertaking a review of plating and testing requirements of heavy vehicles which are exempt from roadworthiness testing. At that time, it was not deemed proportionate to include them in the scope of operator licensing. This position is kept under review.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how their proposed Great British Railways organisation will differ from the Strategic Rail Authority that was abolished in 2006.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) did not integrate track and train, nor was it intended to.
Great British Railways will integrate track and train at a route and operating company level, thus reducing costs, increasing revenue and improving performance, thus serving passengers, freight and the taxpayer.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received the report by the Earl Attlee, Harassment of the Heavy Haulage Industry by West Midlands Police, dated 10 May; and if so, whether they found it to be inaccurate, unfair or technically incorrect.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I can confirm that the Department for Transport has received a copy of the noble Lord’s report. In common with other road traffic laws, policing of abnormal loads is an operational matter for the police. Any complaints about West Midlands Police’s handling of abnormal loads movements should be taken up with the Chief Constable.