Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Earl Attlee, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Earl Attlee has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Earl Attlee has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
In July 2023 the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Client Board endorsed the R&R Programme Board’s recommended shortlist of R&R delivery options. This included a “full decant” option where both Houses move out of the Palace at the same time (with the Commons prioritised for earlier return) and an option whereby the House of Commons would maintain a “continued presence” in varying locations in the Palace during the works and the House of Lords would move out of the Palace. The Client Board has also requested that a fallback option of enhanced maintenance and improvement forms part of further detailed design work on these options to inform a decision on the preferred way forward in due course, currently expected in 2025.
The Client Board considered it important that more than one option should be subject to further detailed design work and analysis in order to meet the spirit of the new mandate for R&R agreed by both Houses last year and to reflect that members of both Houses have differing views about how the programme can best be delivered.
The average (mean) salary of a minister of the crown in the House of Lords, including unpaid ministers and excluding accommodation and travel allowances, is £41,490.26.
Ministerial salaries are payable under the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975. Details of the salaries and allowances currently paid to Ministers at different ranks can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-salary-data
There are no current plans to amend the legislation governing ministerial salaries.
Ministerial salaries are constrained by the Ministerial and other Salaries Act which sets cumulative limits on the total number of salaries that can be allocated to ministers.
Under successive governments a small number of ministers across the Commons and the Lords have been unpaid. The distribution of salaries between ministers in the House of Commons and the House of Lords is a matter for the Prime Minister, who is responsible for the overall organisation of the Executive.
The Cabinet Office does not maintain a central database of sections of Acts of Parliament that have not been commenced. Details of all Acts of Parliament that have received Royal Assent, including their commencement status, are publicly available at legislation.gov.uk.
The rights of access under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("the Act") apply to information recorded in any form which is held by a public authority. Correspondence such as letters and e-mails falls within the definition of information. Correspondence sent by members of the House of Lords to the Lord Speaker in his capacity as Lord Speaker would be held by the House of Lords for the purposes of the Act.
Requests for information are considered by the House Administration on a case-by-case basis. Whether correspondence will be disclosed in whole, in part or exempted from disclosure under one or more of the exemptions set out in the Act will depend upon the specific circumstances including the subject matter.
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.
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.
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.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has not issued guidance about using ordinary carpet tiles to increase friction on a vehicle or trailer deck.
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.
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.
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.
Not running the second fast service between Portsmouth Harbour and Waterloo would be saving an estimated £3.6 million per annum. The Department and South West Railway (SWR) will continue to monitor capacity and demand levels on that line and across the network.
There are currently no plans to reintroduce the second fast service between Portsmouth Harbour and London Waterloo as current demand does not warrant a return of that service. The Department and South West Railway (SWR) will continue to monitor capacity and demand levels on this line and across the network.
South Western Railway will introduce a new timetable from Monday 21st February, which will reinstate services to pre-Omicron levels including the London to Portsmouth line. This follows reducing numbers of Omicron-related staff shortages and growing numbers of passengers returning to the railway.
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
The information requested is not currently available for the week commencing 3 January. On 27 November 2021, the most recent date for which data is available, the number of drivers with Category C and C+E driving entitlement who held a Certificate of Professional Competence is shown in the table below. The historic information requested is not held. Officials will write to The Noble Lord with the information from week commencing 3 January when it becomes available.
Category | Volume |
1. C | 194,261 |
2. C and CE | 420,562 |
Total C and CE | 614,823 |
On 14 October, 2,052 vocational drivers were awaiting a decision after having reapplied for driving entitlement that had previously been revoked or an application had been refused on medical grounds. It is not possible to determine how many of these are specifically for HGV driving entitlement.
The table below shows the number of drivers in each age group holding category C or C+E driving entitlement and who do not have a certificate of professional competence as of 18 September.
Age Groups | Category C | Category C+E |
18 to 40 | 76,692 | 78,058 |
41 to 50 | 51,095 | 40,081 |
51 to 55 | 12,206 | 14,605 |
56 to 60 | 6,688 | 14,225 |
61 to 65 | 2,532 | 9,059 |
66 to 70 | 326 | 1,476 |
71 to 90 | 124 | 1,467 |
| 149,663 | 158,971 |
The table below shows the number of drivers in each age group holding category C or C+E driving entitlement and who do not have a certificate of professional competence as of 18 September.
Age Groups | Category C | Category C+E |
18 to 40 | 76,692 | 78,058 |
41 to 50 | 51,095 | 40,081 |
51 to 55 | 12,206 | 14,605 |
56 to 60 | 6,688 | 14,225 |
61 to 65 | 2,532 | 9,059 |
66 to 70 | 326 | 1,476 |
71 to 90 | 124 | 1,467 |
| 149,663 | 158,971 |
On 4 September 2021, the number of drivers holding category C or C+E driving entitlement who do not have a certificate of professional competence is shown below:
The vehicles operated by the Ministry of Defence are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles that were originally built as heavy goods vehicles but have been converted to be a living van (under the C&U regulations definition) are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles of historical interest, as defined in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, will be exempt from these regulations irrespective of the load. However, if such a vehicle is being used commercially, it is not exempted from these regulations, as it is important to balance the granting of any exemptions with the safety of all road users.
The vehicles operated by the Ministry of Defence are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles that were originally built as heavy goods vehicles but have been converted to be a living van (under the C&U regulations definition) are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles of historical interest, as defined in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, will be exempt from these regulations irrespective of the load. However, if such a vehicle is being used commercially, it is not exempted from these regulations, as it is important to balance the granting of any exemptions with the safety of all road users.
The vehicles operated by the Ministry of Defence are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles that were originally built as heavy goods vehicles but have been converted to be a living van (under the C&U regulations definition) are within the scope of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Vehicles of historical interest, as defined in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, will be exempt from these regulations irrespective of the load. However, if such a vehicle is being used commercially, it is not exempted from these regulations, as it is important to balance the granting of any exemptions with the safety of all road users.
The Government commissioned fundamental research to understand whether the material properties of a vehicle tyre change with its chronological age to such an extent that the integrity of the tyre, and therefore its safety, is compromised. 44 used tyres were selected as potential test samples, ranging from 3 to 19 years in age and originating from in-service use within the UK vehicle fleet. However, 18 of these tyres exhibited evidence of physical damage, under-inflation, penetrations or repairs and were rejected from the study. The remaining 26 tyres were included, alongside five new tyres for comparator purposes.
To limit the variability from differences in rubber compound, steel cords and construction, all the tyres selected were from the same manufacturer, and the same size and designated usage i.e. for front axles. However, three different tyre models were used, as no single model spanned the complete age range of the tyres selected for the study.
The Government commissioned fundamental research to understand whether the material properties of a vehicle tyre change with its chronological age to such an extent that the integrity of the tyre, and therefore its safety, is compromised. 44 used tyres were selected as potential test samples, ranging from 3 to 19 years in age and originating from in-service use within the UK vehicle fleet. However, 18 of these tyres exhibited evidence of physical damage, under-inflation, penetrations or repairs and were rejected from the study. The remaining 26 tyres were included, alongside five new tyres for comparator purposes.
To limit the variability from differences in rubber compound, steel cords and construction, all the tyres selected were from the same manufacturer, and the same size and designated usage i.e. for front axles. However, three different tyre models were used, as no single model spanned the complete age range of the tyres selected for the study.
Tests conducted in commanded armoured vehicles are currently under review. The Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are in discussions with the Ministry of Defence and the Vehicle Certifications Agency about what military vehicles are suitable for category H practical driving tests. This includes an assessment of the legality of such vehicles, notably in relation to the Construction and Use Regulations, and the safety implications given that the requirement is for the test to be conducted on public roads.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency consults with driving test customers on a regular basis regarding the suitability of vehicles for a practical Cat H test; most cases are from the farming industry - tracked crawlers being the preferred vehicle.
There have been no statutory changes in the last 5 years to the requirements regarding vehicles and locations.
There have been no statutory changes in the last 5 years to the requirements regarding vehicles and locations. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency meets regularly with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to discuss a range of matters, including the requirements for its defence contractors. The MoD is closely involved in an on-going review of the suitability of armoured vehicles for category H driving tests.
Vehicle Standards Assessors (VSA) conduct heavy goods vehicle (HGV) tests at Authorised Testing Facilities (ATF).
The basic annual salary for a VSA is £21,167 plus a technical recruitment allowance of £2,590 per annum. In addition, they receive one of two payments dependent on their committed availability to be scheduled for testing as follows:
Option A:
An annual payment of £2,400 for being scheduled between 06:00 – 22:00 Monday to Friday and 06:00 – 18:00 Saturday
Option B:
An annual payment of £3,500 for being scheduled in line with Option A above plus:
06:00 – 18:00 Sunday
06:00 – 18:00 Bank Holiday
22:00 – 06:00 Monday – Friday
18:00 – 06:00 Saturday – Sunday & Bank Holidays
This means the financial package available to VSAs is between £26,157 and £27,257. This is subject to normal Civil Service pay review which, following TU negotiation, is effective from 1 October annually.
VSAs may have a lease car provided by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and can claim work relate mileage at the rate set by HMRC: currently this is 8p or 9p mile dependent on engine size. DVSA employees who use their own car for work purposes can claim either 25p or 35p per mile depending on the length of employment.
Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators are expected to maintain their vehicles in order to ensure their safety at all times. During the COVID-19 pandemic, specific guidance relating to periodic maintenance inspections was published by the Traffic Commissioners, setting out circumstances in which inspection periods may be extended.
Primary legislation identifies annual testing for heavy goods vehicles as distinct from the MOT scheme. For most heavy vehicles the statutory annual tests are an independent check which supplements the periodic maintenance inspections. Permitting a wider range of testers for the statutory annual HGV test would require significant work to establish a regime which assures the quality and independence of testing and manages road safety risk and financial incentives.
There were no heavy goods vehicles issued with a certificate of temporary exemption from plating or testing under section 53(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 during each of the last five calendar years before 31 December 2019.
To keep bus and lorry drivers on the road, the Government has made temporary provisions to remove the requirement to submit a medical report, which includes questions about eyesight, when applying to renew a bus or lorry driving licence, until further notice. Provided they have no notifiable medical conditions, drivers will be issued a licence that is valid for one year instead of the usual five. This only applies if the licence expired after 1 January 2020 or is due to expire.
As is always the case, drivers must ensure they are medically fit to drive and they are legally obliged to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of the onset or worsening of any medical condition.
The Government has no current plans to allow public service vehicle (category D) licence holders to drive any heavy goods vehicles (category C) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legislation requires the driver to have passed a test in the category of the vehicle being driven.
Although buses and coaches share many similar driving characteristics with lorries, there are significant differences in the handling, braking with a load, and automatic and semi-automatic transmission systems. Without specific training, bus drivers may not be familiar with these differences, which may have significant road safety implications.
The safety of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians or cyclists is a priority for this Government. Only those drivers who have undertaken appropriate training in the vehicle and demonstrated competence by passing a test can drive category C vehicles.
The Government will keep under review the availability of drivers to ensure critical supply chains are able to continue servicing NHS and supermarket food supplies during the pandemic.
The Department for Transport is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. Estimates suggest that there is not currently a lack of HGV driver availability.
The Government has taken action to allow drivers whose Driver CPC expires between 1 March and 30 September 2020 to either take the training remotely or complete it after 30 September 2020. In addition, drivers whose licences have expired since 1 January 2020 or will expire in 2020 will be able to receive a temporary 1-year licence, providing they do not have any medical conditions that affect their driving.
The Department holds all its franchised operators to account for their performance through a Franchise Agreement. Each operator’s performance is measured against a set of benchmarks, which includes cancellations; however, these are not disaggregated down to individual types of cancellations, such as train defects. Specific cancellation causes are not connected to set penalties; any expenditure we require operators to incur to improve performance for passengers is linked to their overall performance.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes official statistics on work-related fatal injuries at https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm. Data specifically for work-related fatal injuries by accident kind is reproduced in the table below.
Table 1: Number of work-related fatal injuries to workers (employees and self-employed) in Great Britain by kind of accident, 2021/22
Source: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)
Accident kind | Number of fatal injuries to workers |
All accident kinds | 123 |
Falls from a height | 29 |
Struck by moving vehicle | 23 |
Struck by moving, including flying/falling, object | 18 |
Contact with moving machinery | 15 |
Trapped by something collapsing/overturning | 14 |
Contact with electricity or electrical discharge | 9 |
Drowning or asphyxiation | 4 |
Strike against something fixed or stationary | 2 |
Exposure to fire | 2 |
Slips, trips or falls on same level | 1 |
Exposure to, or contact with, a harmful substance | 1 |
Exposure to an explosion | 1 |
Injured by an animal | 1 |
Acts of violence | 1 |
Other kind of accident | 2 |
Figures for 2021/22 are at this stage provisional. They will be finalised in July 2023 following any necessary adjustments.
Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, dutyholders (employers and the self-employed) have a statutory duty to have lifting equipment for use at work (including cranes and lifts) thoroughly examined by a competent person at time intervals set out in the Regulations. Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to appoint inspectors or fund inspections to deliver these statutory inspections because the legal obligation to ensure safety rests with the person who controls the equipment or premises.
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, dutyholders are obliged to ensure all electrical systems are maintained to ensure the safety of the system. The obligation to maintain only arises if a lack of maintenance could cause danger. The frequency of maintenance is a matter for the judgement of the dutyholder. Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to change the legislation for the way such maintenance is carried out or appoint inspectors or fund inspections for maintenance.
Under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 the users and owners of boilers and pressure vessels have a statutory duty to have them examined by a competent person at periods specified in a written scheme of examination.
Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to appoint inspectors or fund inspections to deliver these statutory inspections.
Polymerase chain reaction tests are very specific and the risk of false positives where the test is reacting to other viruses is extremely low. Independent confirmatory testing of positive samples indicates a test specificity that exceeds 99.3%, or a false positive rate of 1%, and additional guidance has been provided to laboratories to reduce the rate even further.
Information regarding the assessment of false negatives is not held in the format requested due to the challenges in estimating clinical sensitivity. We do not collect data on the operational false positive rate.
All Written Questions receive several stages of quality assurance to ensure that responses are accurate. All answers are drafted by subject matter experts and assured by a senior civil servant with the appropriate knowledge to certify the accuracy.
Information regarding the assessment of false positives was not held in the format requested due to the challenges in estimating clinical sensitivity. This is part due to a lack of a generally accepted reference standard to compare reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results.
Currently samples are not placed into the system to test operational sensitivity. The Department has undertaken substantial work with Porton Down and the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Laboratory to conduct temperature and long-term stability experiments on sample collection kits to ensure swabs meet an appropriate standard for testing.
All manufacturers of polymerase chain reaction tests for COVID-19 must meet the requirements of our validation process to ensure the accuracy of their tests. The accreditation process for organisations completing COVID-19 testing will be completed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and published online.
Currently samples are not placed into the system to test operational sensitivity. The Department has undertaken substantial work with Porton Down and the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Laboratory to conduct temperature and long-term stability experiments on sample collection kits to ensure swabs meet an appropriate standard for testing.