Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that non-UK based hauliers comply with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's health and safety guidance on load securing for HGV lorries when transporting cargo in Britain.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has facilities to check the security of loads carried on foreign heavy goods vehicles (HGV) entering this country at all its ports. The agency also has strategically placed check sites around the country for checking the safety of vehicles, including the security of their loads, regardless of whether they are foreign or based in Great Britain. The responsibility for making sure the load a HGV is carrying is secure before driving rests with the driver and operator.

The DVSA’s ‘Guide to maintaining roadworthiness’ is aimed at all haulage operators using British roads, not just those based in Britain. It reflects advice contained in the ‘European Best Practice Guidelines on Cargo Securing for Road Transport’. If the DVSA finds a load on a HGV of a non-UK based haulier to be unsafe, the DVSA (or the police) can take enforcement action. This could result in the issue of a prohibition notice to prevent the vehicle from moving until the load is made safe and/or a fixed penalty fine.