Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) establishment, and (2) personnel strength, of each of the battalions of the Foot Guards, broken down by (a) commissioned officers, (b) senior non-commissioned officers, and (c) other ranks.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The table below shows the Trade Trained Regular Army Personnel within Foot Guard Battalions serving at Regimental Duty by Paid Rank, as at 1 January 2024.
I am withholding part (1) regarding the workforce requirement (establishment) as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the British Army.
Paid Rank | 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards | 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards | 1st Battalion Scots Guards | 1st Battalion Irish Guards | 1st Battalion Welsh Guards |
Total | 530 | 490 | 540 | 390 | 410 |
Commissioned Officers | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Warrant Officers | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Senior Non-Commissioned Officers | 50 | 40 | 50 | 40 | 40 |
Junior Non-Commissioned Officers | 140 | 110 | 170 | 100 | 100 |
Privates | 290 | 280 | 260 | 210 | 230 |
Source: Analysis Army
Table notes/caveats:
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
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 on using ordinary carpet tiles to increase friction between a load and a goods vehicle trailer deck.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has not issued guidance about using ordinary carpet tiles to increase friction on a vehicle or trailer deck.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether prison canteens are permitted to sell materials that could be used to manufacture offensive weapons that could cause serious facial disfigurement.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Many everyday necessities can be adapted and misused as weapons. Deciding which items should be made available therefore involves striking a balance between considerations of safety and decency.
Establishments select their local canteen list from items in the National Product List. They make their selection on the basis of a dynamic local risk assessment, taking into account a range of factors, notably security, safety, and prisoner needs.
The Government is committed to making prisons a safe place to work and recognises the risks associated with prisoners’ access to everyday items, including wet-shave razors. In our 2021 Prisons Strategy White Paper, we committed ourselves to trialling alternatives to wet-shave razors in prisons, to determine whether a change in approach might lead to a safer environment for both prisoners and staff. Throughout 2022 and 2023, six pilots have been carried out in the male estate and one in the female estate. Testing at all sites has now concluded and the results are being evaluated. The evaluation, which is nearing completion, will enable us to make informed recommendations on future shaving provision in prison establishments.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there have been any recent changes to legislation that mean airfields are considered as public places for the purposes of the insurance requirements within the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The requirement under s. 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, to have in force a policy of insurance in respect of third-party liabilities, applies to the use of a motor vehicle on a road or public place. There have been no recent changes to legislation to bring airfields within the scope of public place within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act 1988.