Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage police forces to apply the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s revised guidance on abnormal loads.

NPCC guidance for forces on managing abnormal loads was updated in May 2025. This seeks to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations.

Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance should be implemented in their areas. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.

The NPCC has committed to review this guidance twelve months after publication to ensure it remains fit for purpose.