HC Deb 22 January 1985 vol 71 cc399-400W
Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) by what date he expects driver self-weigh facilities to be installed on the Department's axle weighbridges at ports;

(2) by what date he expects axle weighbridges to be installed at those ports which do not yet have those facilities; and whether he is satisfied that sufficient funds have been made available in the coming financial year to ensure that this work can be carried out by the dates given.

Mrs. Chalker

Driver self-weigh equipment has been provided at the ports of Plymouth, Poole, Dover East and Dover West. Consideration is being given to providing a self-weigh facility during 1985 at other RO/RO ports with axle weighbridges where security of the equipment can be maintained.

I am satisfied that the financial allocations for 1985–86 will allow self-weigh equipment to be installed at these ports and is sufficient to cover the installation of weighbridges at those RO/EO ports which are to be provided with them.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report a table giving (a) a list of those of his Department's weighbridges which are open for use 24 hours a day and (b) in the case of those axle weighbridges not open for use 24 hours a day, the hours when the three enforcement agencies used each weighbridge for enforcement checks during the month of September 1984.

Mrs. Chalker

The dynamic axle weighbridges provided with a self-weigh facility at the ports of Plymouth, Poole, Dover East and Dover West are available for use by drivers and enforcement staff at any time, as is the self-weigh axle weighbridge at Gildersome, west Yorkshire.

All axle weighbridges were used regularly by staff of all three enforcement agencies during September 1984 on an average of two days a week.