§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the operation of the permit system for foreign hauliers entering Great Britain.
§ Dr. GilbertIn general all lorries from the following countries require a permit to enter the United Kingdom:
- Austria
- Czechoslovakia
- Federal Republic of Germany
- France
- German Democratic Republic
- Hungary
- Italy
- Portugal
- Spain
- Yugoslavia
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many permits have been issued for foreign hauliers entering Great Britain.
§ Dr. GilbertPermits to enter the United Kingdom are issued in bulk, with in any quota that may be agreed, to the competent authorities in the countries concerned. The quotas currently in force are as follows:
Austria 3,400 journeys France 41,000 journeys Federal German Republic 9,800 journeys Hungary 2,000 journeys Italy 4,450 journeys Portugal 640 journeys Spain 2,500 journeys Yugoslavia 4,000 journeys Vehicles from Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic require permits, but no quota is in force with these countries. 49W Certain minor operations are free from quota and/or permit requirements.
In addition 2,091 permits are available to foreign hauliers under the European Economic Community Quota and 365 by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport for the carriage of goods by road between member States respectively. These permits are valid for an unlimited number of journeys in one year. In almost all cases foreign hauliers use only a small proportion of the quotas available to them.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the procedure for checking permits issued for hauliers entering Great Britain; and whether he is satisfied with that procedure.
§ Dr. GilbertThe Department's enforcement staff carry out spot checks on permits and other matters at all roll-on/ roll-off ports, and these checks are supplemented by officers of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
I am satisfied that the procedure works well, and welcome this opportunity to emphasise that the Department's officials and those of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise work in close co-operation.