HC Deb 16 July 1979 vol 970 c398W
Sir Timothy Kitson

asked the Minister of Transport what further consideration his Department has given to retarders being fitted in coaches; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Proposals are being considered for requiring compliance with new braking standards laid down in EEC directives. The standards are more comprehensive than those in our present regulations and would require coach manufacturers to design braking systems in a way that would reduce the risk of brake fade, but the use of retarders would not be compulsory. In some cases retarders may well be an effective supplementary device to improve braking performance, but they are not essential in all cases to achieve high standards, and they are no substitute for an efficient conventional system of frictional braking.