Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2014 to Question 208875, on road safety regulations to metric mixers, what specific concerns are raised in the 14 pieces of correspondence; what assessment he has made of the road safety risk posed by the current regulations; whether that issue is part of the review into exemptions on safety regulations for HGVs; and when the conclusions of that review will be published.

The views raised in correspondence on volumetric concrete mixers have ranged from opposing the removal of the current annual roadworthiness test exemption to being supportive of that exemption’s removal. Concerns raised by those opposing the removal of the exemption have centred on the potential impacts in terms of efficiency of operations as they believe they will be unnecessarily limited to operate at lower weight limits than they currently do. Correspondence from those who support the removal of the current exemption are concerned at the impacts these vehicles have on road safety. The Department plans to consult later this year about reviewing exemptions. A consultation stage impact assessment has been drafted to accompany the consultation document. Whilst this impact assessment does cover concerns about road safety, we have not been able to monetise the expected benefits, as data is not available.