Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of drivers taking the trailer safety accreditation scheme.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The scheme is an industry-led initiative, overseen by the National Council for Accredited Trailer Towing. Data reported the DVSA since the scheme was launched on 18 May 2022 show 120 drivers have completed an accredited training course. The DVSA does not hold data on the number of drivers who might have completed trailer safety training courses outside the accredited scheme.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to tackle the rate of Vehicle Excise Duty evasion.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collects around £7 billion in vehicle excise duty each year. The most recent estimate, published in November 2021, showed that 98.1 per cent of vehicles used on the road are licensed correctly.
The DVLA aims to make vehicle excise duty easy to pay but hard to avoid and keeps its processes for encouraging compliance and delivering a robust enforcement regime under review. The DVLA has a comprehensive package of measures to tackle those who do not pay vehicle excise duty. These range from reminder letters, penalties and court prosecutions through to the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and the wheel clamping and removal of unlicensed vehicles.
The DVLA also works closely with the police and local authorities to address vehicle excise duty evasion at local levels and to share intelligence to target vehicle keepers who deliberately do not license their vehicles. Police forces and local authorities can also clamp and remove unlicensed vehicles by adopting the DVLA’s devolved powers.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many available HGV vocational tests were unused in each of the last four weeks.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The table below shows the numbers of available slots for vocational testing (Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) & Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV)). The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is not able to report LGV and PCV separately.
| Available slots | Booked slots | % Available |
w/c 25.10.21 | 546 | 2,328 | 19% |
w/c 01.11.21 | 394 | 2,461 | 14% |
w/c 08.11.21 | 321 | 2,617 | 11% |
w/c 15.11.21 | 299 | 2,621 | 10% |
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he hash to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
There are no plans to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Legal processes must be followed, and legislation is currently going through the parliamentary process. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Drivers must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The legislation being proposed specifically states that a review must be conducted three years after the law comes into force and again at five years to ensure the safety of our roads has not been compromised by these changes.
No assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the public purse. A new statutory instrument with an amended coming into force date will be laid in Parliament shortly.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Statutory Instrument on Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, by what date he plans to resolve the situation for people who would have been obliged to take the B+E test have had their tests cancelled.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
There are no plans to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Legal processes must be followed, and legislation is currently going through the parliamentary process. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Drivers must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The legislation being proposed specifically states that a review must be conducted three years after the law comes into force and again at five years to ensure the safety of our roads has not been compromised by these changes.
No assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the public purse. A new statutory instrument with an amended coming into force date will be laid in Parliament shortly.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Statutory Instrument on Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, what plans he has to implement changes to the testing process for B+E tests.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
There are no plans to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Legal processes must be followed, and legislation is currently going through the parliamentary process. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Drivers must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The legislation being proposed specifically states that a review must be conducted three years after the law comes into force and again at five years to ensure the safety of our roads has not been compromised by these changes.
No assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the public purse. A new statutory instrument with an amended coming into force date will be laid in Parliament shortly.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Statutory Instrument on Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the withdrawn statutory instrument.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
There are no plans to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Legal processes must be followed, and legislation is currently going through the parliamentary process. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Drivers must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The legislation being proposed specifically states that a review must be conducted three years after the law comes into force and again at five years to ensure the safety of our roads has not been compromised by these changes.
No assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the public purse. A new statutory instrument with an amended coming into force date will be laid in Parliament shortly.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Statutory Instrument on Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, what discussions he has had with the DVSA on the legal status of drivers towing light trailers whose B+E tests were cancelled from 20 September 2021.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
There are no plans to resume mandatory testing for people towing light trailers.
Legal processes must be followed, and legislation is currently going through the parliamentary process. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Drivers must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The legislation being proposed specifically states that a review must be conducted three years after the law comes into force and again at five years to ensure the safety of our roads has not been compromised by these changes.
No assessment has been undertaken of the cost to the public purse. A new statutory instrument with an amended coming into force date will be laid in Parliament shortly.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage category C or D driving licence holders not currently employed in the HGV industry to take up work in that sector.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department for Transport is working closely with the road haulage industry to support them in attracting back inactive drivers, with many employers already offering increased salaries and other incentives. In addition, the Department, along with leading logistics organisations, has sent nearly 1 million letters to thank HGV drivers for their vital role supporting the economy, and to encourage those who have left the industry to return. The letter informs recipients of the employment opportunities in the sector, to encourage them to return.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, what assessment he has made of the effect of those regulations on businesses whose sole purpose is to provide training for the driving licence category BE test for the towing of trailers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are working with the trailer towing sector to develop a voluntary accredited training scheme to ensure drivers have the skills, knowledge and expertise required to tow safely.