Bull-bars: EC Directive (Hansard, 8 July 1996)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)
My Lords, the Commission has recently proposed an amendment to the External Projections Directive which would control the fitment of aggressive bull-bars. A working group has been set up to develop the proposals further and the department is actively involved in this work.

§ The Earl of Kinnoull
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that encouraging reply. What is the timing of the next stage of the Commission's progress? How soon is a European directive expected?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, my noble friend is right to say that there has been progress. A specific working group has been set up to discuss the issue. There is a meeting on 16th July. We hope that there will be some progress. We have commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to inform our thinking on this matter. It is clear that there are still significant difficulties in reaching an agreement, but we are working hard towards one.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, the House will have been interested in the Minister's initial reply, in particular the reference to "aggressive" bull-bars. Will he explain the difference between aggressive bull-bars and any other bull-bars?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, yes, aggressive bull-bars are those that would do the most damage to pedestrians. There are other types of bull-bars which are not necessarily thick, steel, sharp-edged bars. There are those made out of deformable plastic.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is it well known in Europe that "bull-bars" is the British term? "Roo-bars" is what the term is in the country where they originated; and they were designed to protect the driver because a vehicle radiator is rapidly smashed by a large kangaroo colliding with it, and dusk is the most dangerous time. As a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety, perhaps I may say that it is important that we do everything we can to press for the prohibition of these bars, which are not appropriate in Europe.

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, I thank my noble friend. We rely on her for marsupial advice on these matters. But she is right. It is an important issue, on which we are working hard to bring about a solution.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, will the noble Viscount confirm to the House that the Government 8 have received the permission of the European Commission for a proposal to be introduced for the amendment of the legislation? If they have received permission, it must be counted considerably to their credit, because under the treaty only the Commission can originate a proposal.

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, I understand that the Commission has recently proposed an amendment to the directive. We welcome the Commission's involvement. My honourable friend the Minister for Road Safety, Steven Norris, had a meeting with the European Commissioner, Mr. Kinnock, at which it was agreed that a European approach was the best way forward.

§ Lord Pearson of Rannoch
My Lords, would it have been possible for the British Government to have made these bull-bars illegal without the involvement of the European Commission, if that is what we had wished to do?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, there are powers under the Road Traffic Act, but there are difficulties. A vehicle with the optional equipment of bull-bars could be type approved, in which case we would be bound to accept it. That is why we do not believe that national action is appropriate without having first overcome the European problem.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, since there are hundreds of deaths and injuries every year as a result of bull-bars and only 11 reported cases of CJD, will the Government now pursue a policy of non-cooperation with the European Union until it agrees to a measure which would save lives and injuries in this country?
The noble Viscount was sitting on the Bench when my noble friend Lord Barnett accused me and the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, of xenophobia. Did he hear anything in my two very reasonable questions to suggest that I was xenophobic in any way?

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, I always listen carefully at Question Time. But I do not answer for the noble Lord, Lord Barnett. I answer for Her Majesty's Government.
I should have been disappointed had the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, not come up with a bovine reference of some kind. Research has been done into injuries which have resulted in fatalities through the use of bull-bars. Current research tends to indicate that the figure is rather lower than was originally supposed. It is not in the realm of hundreds but is a much smaller figure.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, will the Government not be too precipitate in action against bull-bars? Bull-bars have many useful purposes. There are many items that one can tie to them, including a balloon, if one so wishes, when there is no other way of raising it to the sky.

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his helpful advice on ballooning matters. 9 There are a number of legitimate uses for bull-bars. We have been concerned that they have tended to be fitted merely as a fashion accessory rather than for any practical purpose. However, a number of different people, including farmers and gamekeepers, have practical uses for them.

§ Lord Clinton-Davis
My Lords, does the Minister agree that we should move from bovine, marsupial and ballooning matters to the reality of the situation? As he indicated, we are encouraging further progress at Commission level. However, does he agree that the directive relates only to the construction of new vehicles? Vehicles currently fitted with bull-bars will not be affected. Does he further recognise that there are measures available in the United Kingdom to deal with the situation? Does he have any intention of taking action, particularly in the light of the inquiry that he caused to be made into the matter? Perhaps he would like to focus on that.

§ Viscount Goschen
My Lords, the thrust of our inquiry is towards addressing the problem of new vehicles being fitted with bull-bars. We have not ruled out retrospective action, but a number of significant difficulties are involved and we would have to consider carefully the appropriateness of such action.