Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an estimate of the number of UK businesses which have established a subsidiary in the EU to avoid the cabotage rules impacting touring musicians and others.

The dual registration measure came into force in July 2022 to enable eligible specialist events hauliers to transfer their vehicles temporarily between their two operator licences without needing to change vehicle mid-tour.

The measure does not enable the avoidance of cabotage rules, rather it allows specialist hauliers to undertake journeys in GB on the basis of their GB operator licence and to do the same in the other location on the basis of their EU or other third country operator licence.

The Department understands that seven operators – which have an operating base in GB and in the EU or other third country – are currently making use of this measure.