INSPECTIONS OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (Hansard, 25 June 1963)

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)
My Lords, when this subject was last raised in your Lordships' House, and I accepted the Motion by the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, I emphasised that, because of the many factors to be taken into consideration and problems to be resolved, it would be some considerable time before I was in a position to lay before your Lordships definite proposals for a scheme for regular inspection of the heavier type of goods vehicles which are not included in the existing periodic testing scheme. We have made progress but have not yet reached a stage at which precise plans can be formulated. I hope to be able to be more informative later in the year. In the meantime, the reduction to five years of the age of vehicles subject to annual test, which came into effect on April 30, has increased the numbers of goods vehicles of up to 30 cwt. unladen weight which are now subject to annual inspection; and we are of course continuing with the spot checks of goods vehicles generally.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. I am pleased to see that some advance has been made, although I think the 130 noble Lord will agree that it is a limited advance. I think the noble Lord will also agree that the annual report of the licensing authorities, to which I referred in the debate, indicated that a mere 8 per cent. of the commercial vehicles on the roads in this country were inspected, and that approximately 9 per cent. of those vehicles that were inspected were so bad that they had to be taken off the road. I think—and I hope the noble Lord will agree that this represented a serious state of affairs; and the Government indicated that, although it would take some time, regular inspections would be brought about. But the purpose of my Question, to which the noble Lord did not really reply, is to ask what increase has taken place. Can the noble Lord say whether there has been an increase in the number of examiners from 320 in 1961? Can the noble Lord say to what extent an increase has taken place?

§ LORD CHESHAM
My Lords, I may say that, so far as I am aware, no increase has yet taken place in the number of examiners. We have tried to treat this matter in the manner which the noble Lord desired in his Motion, and to produce an effective scheme. I am bound to repeat to the noble Lord—I know he is aware of this point already—that this matter entails a great deal of work in the assessment of facilities and the amount of work involved, and that is where we are making progress. I hope that quite soon we shall reach the stage of consultation with the interests involved.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
But would it not be desirable to increase the scope and the extent of this examination by increasing the number of examiners, using the same facilities that are available?

§ LORD CHESHAM
My Lords, I will certainly look into that point. If I am not able to answer it satisfactorily now, as evidently I am not, I will most certainly look at that point. I would just add that the figure of 8 per cent., which the noble Lord quoted from the Commissioners, does not represent the whole of the picture, because it does not include those vehicles under 30 cwt. which are examined by other means, and I am not sure that it includes the spot checks, either.

§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord this question? During the debate to which he has referred—unfortunately I was on the other side of the world when it took place—he gave an assurance that the Ministry of Transport were progressing actively with a plating scheme to denote the maximum load which a commercial vehicle would be by law allowed to carry. Is he aware that still the greatest inefficiency factor in the mechanical part of a goods-carrying vehicle is the overload it carries, and that most commercial vehicles are still grossly overloaded? Could the noble Lord tell the House what progress is being made with the plating scheme, which he propounded then, to denote the maximum permissible load of a goods carrying vehicle?

§ LORD CHESHAM
My Lords, offhand I cannot, because it is not a matter that is contained in the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd. If the noble Lord will put down a Question about it, I shall be delighted to answer it.

LORD HAWKE
My Lords, would my noble friend see that there is an inspector stationed on the Exeter-Launceston road, because the commercial vehicles using that road are rarely able to climb the narrow winding hills at reasonable speed?

§ LORD CHESHAM
My Lords, it sounds as if there may be other considerations involved in this, but I will certainly consider what my noble friend has said.