Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to retain HGV drivers.

The Government is taking forward work to address workforce shortages in the logistics sector. This includes tackling barriers to access and retention by increasing training opportunities, identifying skills needs and data gaps, improving perception and awareness of the sector, and improving facilities.

The industry led Generation Logistics campaign is backed by £345,000 government funding and aims to increase the number of people considering logistics as a career, and positive sentiment about logistics.

The Government also announced £32.5m investment in improving roadside facilities for HGV drivers in the December 2021 Spending Review, this is alongside an additional £20 million from National Highways’ existing Users and Communities Fund. Funding will support operators in making improvements such as better security, showers and eating facilities as well as possibly increasing spaces for lorry drivers. More information will be publicly available this Autumn, however roadside operators are already encouraged to apply to the National Highways Fund. The ‘National Survey of Lorry Parking’ was published at the end of September and will be used as an evidence base for what improvements are needed and where they are needed.