HL Deb 22 November 1973 vol 346 cc1194-5

3.17 p.m.

VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARD

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what the insurance arrangements are in this country for foreign lorries which are too big or too heavy by English law.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, foreign lorries entering the United Kingdom are required to comply with our law on size and weight. Similarly, our law on compulsory motor insurance applies to all motor vehicles including lorries, whatever their country of origin, their size or weight.

VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARD

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer, but I should like to ask whether he is aware that I must have been wrongly informed, since I was informed that certain heavy vehicles entering this country were not covered for third party insurance. I must have been misinformed.

LORD AVEBURY

My Lords, when the noble Lord, Lord Mowbray and Stourton, says that the laws of this country apply to foreign lorries exactly as they do to vehicles of the United Kingdom, does he mean also that restrictions on fuel are being applied to foreign lorries? May I further ask what advice has been given to the oil companies about supplying them?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, if the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, will put that down as a Question, I will answer it another time.

LORD MOLSON

My Lords, are the Government aware that under present arrangements there is an effective bar on the entry into this country of foreign lorries of a weight in excess of that permitted in this country in size and weight? I read some time ago that the arrangements at the ports were adequate for dealing with them, and I believe we passed special legislation for dealing with the matter. Is the position reasonably satisfactory now?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the Question is really concerned with insurance, but I should like to assure the noble Lord, Lord Molson, that we are recruiting extra staff at the ports. One or two overweight lorries have been slipping in, but we are stopping that, so far as we are able, and we are now getting very much better results than we have done in the past.