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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State granted one or more Special Orders under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which permitted the movement of long trams from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February; and if so, whether the haulier who moved a tram on that date gave five clear working days’ notice to all the relevant authorities in accordance with the relevant Special Order.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
National Highways did issue a special order for the movement of ten trams from Dudley to Wednesbury.
Whilst the Department cannot respond on behalf of the other relevant authorities, the haulier did give five clear working days’ notice to National Highways for the movement on 15th February.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many drivers hold (1) a Category C licence and (2) a Category C+E licence; and of each of these groups, how many hold a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As at 20 July 2024, the number of driving licence holders with (1) Category C and (2) Category C+E driving entitlement is shown below:
The number of these drivers who hold a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence is shown below:
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a Special Order under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an abnormal load, or loads, at a gross weight exceeding 150 tonnes in the most recent 12-month period for which the figures are available.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, between April 2023 and March 2024 issued 20 hauliers with a Special-Order permit for vehicles with a S.O. weight exceeding 150,000kgs. Data for roads managed by local authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a VR1 Authorisation under an order made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an exceptionally wide load in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, between April 2023 and March 2024 issued 86 hauliers with a VR1 permit (widths exceeding 5.0m and up to and including 6.1m). Data for roads managed by local authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a Special Order made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an exceptionally wide load in excess of 6.1 metres wide in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, issued 23 hauliers with a Special-Order permit for vehicles with a width exceeding 6.1m. Data for roads managed by Local Authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their policy is on enforcing the size requirements for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003; and, in particular, under what circumstances a vehicle would be stopped from being used on roads under this provision.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), as amended, allows the Secretary of State to make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used.
Section 41(2)(b) permits the regulations to make provisions concerning the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers by means of the fixing of plates or otherwise and the circumstances in which they are to be marked.
Existing requirements for the size tolerance for signage under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 is considered appropriate for standard manufacturing techniques and adequate to facilitate good visibility for road safety and enforcement purposes, although these are kept under constant review.
In common with other road traffic laws, enforcement of these requirements is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the size tolerance for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 in the interests of simplifying transportation for industry.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), as amended, allows the Secretary of State to make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used.
Section 41(2)(b) permits the regulations to make provisions concerning the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers by means of the fixing of plates or otherwise and the circumstances in which they are to be marked.
Existing requirements for the size tolerance for signage under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 is considered appropriate for standard manufacturing techniques and adequate to facilitate good visibility for road safety and enforcement purposes, although these are kept under constant review.
In common with other road traffic laws, enforcement of these requirements is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency has issued as to whether it is necessary to load a steel structure on a goods vehicle trailer against the headboard or a false headboard, or whether it is sufficient to secure the load so that it cannot possibly move forwards or be a danger to other road users.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has issued comprehensive guidance about ways to carry and secure loads safely on heavy goods vehicles. The guidance is available on GOV.UK under the headings ‘Securing loads on heavy goods vehicles and goods vehicles – how to carry different types of load in HGVs and goods vehicles’ and ‘Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicle – ways to secure a load in an HGV or goods vehicle’. This includes how and where to load and secure a steel structure on a goods vehicle.