Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to update existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads to reflect modern vehicle (a) sizes, (b) traffic conditions and (c) safety standards.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with road safety experts on updating legislation for the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads.
Legislative updates to the speed and weight limits of agricultural tractors were made in 2015. This increased the maximum weight limit for tractor-trailer combinations to 31 tonnes.
The government is not currently considering updates to the existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles but has engaged with the sector on this topic.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with road safety experts on updating legislation relating to the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with road safety experts on updating legislation for the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads.
Legislative updates to the speed and weight limits of agricultural tractors were made in 2015. This increased the maximum weight limit for tractor-trailer combinations to 31 tonnes.
The government is not currently considering updates to the existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles but has engaged with the sector on this topic.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to introduce a separate mandatory driving test for tractor and trailer combinations over a certain weight threshold.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no current plans to introduce a separate test for agricultural tractor and trailer combinations over a certain weight threshold.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that tractor and trailer drivers comply with legal speed limits on public roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local authorities are asked to have regard to the Department’s guidance Setting Local Speed Limits, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances, but the final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of laws governing the hours worked by agricultural vehicle drivers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport (DfT) has not assessed the adequacy of the laws governing the hours worked by agricultural vehicle drivers.
The regulations that apply to the hours worked by drivers of agricultural vehicles depend on a range of factors. For example, drivers of some agricultural vehicles, if used for commercial non-agricultural haulage on public roads, may need to comply with the assimilated drivers’ hours rules (Regulation (EC) 561/2006, as it has effect in the UK) which set maximum limits on driving and minimum requirements for breaks and rest periods. These drivers follow the sector-specific Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005. There are a number of exemptions from the assimilated drivers’ hours rules, including for tractors not capable of exceeding 40 km/h and tractors used for agricultural or forestry activities within 100 km of their base.
Drivers of tractors that are exempt from the assimilated rules are likely to be subject to GB domestic drivers’ hours rules, which set maximum driving limits and maximum duty limits, and would need to comply with the general Working Time Regulations 1998, unless the driver drives for less than 4 hours in a day or drives only off-road.
The DfT has published guidance on the regulations that apply to agricultural vehicles on gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tractors-regulations-on-use.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of steps to help reduce fatality rates of cyclists on rural roads in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made an assessment of steps to help reduce fatality rates of cyclists on rural roads in West Dorset constituency.
Dorset Unitary Authority has been awarded £774,233 in revenue and capital funding from the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. It will be for the local authority to allocate this funding in line with local investment priorities, such as improving safety for cyclists in West Dorset.
We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of fatal cycling accidents on rural roads in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 12 February, the Department and Active Travel England announced local authority allocations of the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Of this funding, Dorset Unitary Authority has been awarded £774,233 in revenue and capital funding. It will be for the local authority to allocate this funding in line with local investment priorities, such as improving safety for cyclists in West Dorset.
The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users, especially the most vulnerable such as pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. This is a key priority for the Department which was reflected in the updated Highway Code in January 2022, with the implementation of a Hierarchy of Road Users.
We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the steps her Department has taken to prevent automated bots from monopolising driving test booking slots on the DVSA platform.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.
On 28 May 2025, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties on changes which aim to prevent learner drivers being exploited by those who resell tests at a higher price. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.
As part of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, announced in December 2024, this consultation follows the agency’s recent call for evidence about the rules and processes for booking and managing practical car driving tests, which received almost 27,000 responses.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce delays in processing driving licence renewal applications in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) surrounding areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.
There are also no delays in straightforward paper driving licence applications which are being processed within normal turnaround times and drivers should receive their driving licence within three weeks.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer. The length of time taken depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of waiting times for driving licence renewals in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) surrounding areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.
There are also no delays in straightforward paper driving licence applications which are being processed within normal turnaround times and drivers should receive their driving licence within three weeks.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer. The length of time taken depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.