HL Deb 09 February 1987 vol 484 cc494-5

7.45 p.m.

Lord Beaverbrook rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 12th January be approved. [7th Report from the Joint Committee.]

The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move that the draft order laid before the House on 12th January be approved. The general principle governing the carriage of coal by rail is that consignments should always be accompanied by a document giving sufficient detail to identify the wagon, its contents, the identities of the consignor and consignee and the destination of the load.

As originally constituted in 1963, the legislation required a label showing this information to be attached to each wagon. This requirement was relaxed in 1966 to allow the information relating to each wagon to be given in one document: the train bill. In 1979 the legislation was amended again to reflect further developments in weighing technology and the introduction of constantly coupled trains which could be weighed in motion as one unit. This later amendment allowed details of individual wagons to be dispensed with and the train to be documented as a whole.

British Coal and the Central Electricity Generating Board have developed a computer-based system which allows the whole operation of weighing, loading and dispatching of a train to be carried out automatically. All the information that is currently required to be given on a document accompanying the train can be collected and transmitted automatically with considerable savings in time and manpower and with less chance of an error occurring. The system has proved itself in parallel trials with existing procedures and British Coal has asked for the legislation to be amended to allow it to dispense with written transfer documentation. Initially a fully automated system of this kind would only replace written documentation for the whole train traffic with major customers such as the CEGB and perhaps British Steel.

However, in order to achieve maximum economy the new system is capable of being adapted to deal with wagonload traffic to British Coal's smaller customers. If approved, the draft order would allow individual wagon labels or train bills to be dispensed with wherever buyer and seller agree that the information should be transferred electronically. However, it would require that the computer system used must be capable of generating a permanent written record so that, in the event of any dispute or discrepancy, enforcement officers can obtain documentary evidence of the transaction. Thus the proposed amendments would enable British Coal and the Central Electricity Generating Board to achieve useful administrative savings by making use of developments in information technology.

However, the new provisions would ensure that the existing safeguards remain for British Coal's customers.

We have had no adverse comments from any of the 30 organisations that we have consulted as being representative of coal producers, transporters, industrial consumers and enforcement authorities. Finally, I am sure that your Lordships will wish to know that this order was considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments but that the committee did not draw it to the special attention of your Lordships' House.

Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 12th January be approved. [7th Report from the Joint Committee.]—(Lord Beaverbrook).

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, I should love to make a long speech but I do not know how. The only point I can make is that it is about time too.

On Question, Motion agreed to.