§ Lord AylestoneMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government why a recent directive requires old passenger buses preserved as mobile museum exhibits, occasionally used for display at village fetes and rallies and no longer carrying passengers, to have modern tachographs fitted in the cabs.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)My Lords, there is no requirement to fit a tachograph on a vehicle which never carries passengers. We have put to the European Commission proposals designed to remove the doubts arising from the requirement to fit tachographs on vehicles normally used for carrying passengers in so far as they may apply to historic passenger vehicles.
§ Lord AylestoneMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply and to the Government for their obvious interest. Can the Minister say whether there is likely to be a derogation of the directive, which does require a tachograph on vehicles which are not 25 years old?
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, we have proposed that in the United Kingdom vehicles first manufactured before 1st January 1947 should not have to carry tachographs. We are also seeking to extend this to all vehicles that become 25 years old if they do not carry more than nine people and are not used commercially. We are preparing a statutory instrument which will be put to Brussels for approval.
§ Lord AylestoneMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord once again whether he has any idea of the date when this derogation of the directive will take place?
§ Lord Brabazon of TaraMy Lords, I cannot give an answer as to the date, but we hope that it will not be too far away.