Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 are applicable to vehicles that were originally built to be heavy goods vehicles but have been converted to meet the test of being a living van; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the exemption for vehicles defined as historic under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 are applicable to such vehicles if they are operated with a load at a significant proportion of their gross (1) vehicle, or (2) train, weight; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Transport and its agents undertook research into the longevity of the life of safe tyres on Heavy Goods Vehicles; how many tyres were (1) selected for, and (2) actually used, in that research; and what steps they took to ensure that their research used controls to allow for the possibility that any changes observed in tyre material over time could have been caused by changes in the mix of the compound used by the manufacturers and not by deterioration.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of goods vehicles which are taxed as private and not used commercially that could be affected by the ban on tyres aged 10 years and over.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they have conducted with industry regarding suitable vehicles for H licence driving tests.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many changes to the H licence driving test requirements regarding (1) vehicles, and (2) locations, have been communicated to the relevant training providers in the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There have been no statutory changes in the last 5 years to the requirements regarding vehicles and locations.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency permits the use of armoured or automatically commanded vehicles for H licence driving tests; and if so, what assessment they have made of any such policy.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect changes to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle requirements for H licence driving tests have had on defence contractors' H licence acquisitions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many heavy goods vehicles have been 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.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators are expected to carry out six-weekly safety inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic; whether they are conducting such inspections; and if so, why it is not possible to carry out statutory MOT tests on HGVs.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.