HC Deb 19 December 1990 vol 183 cc169-70W
Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the enforcement procedures adopted by his Department relating to the transportation of(a) inflammable and (b) hazardous material by road.

Mr. Chope

Enforcement of the dangerous goods regulations is carried out by the Health and Safety Executive with the assistance of the police and the Department's traffic examiners. The main thrust of the Health and Safety Executive's inspection and enforcement policy is to consider and assess compliance during visits to employers and duty holders' premises. These visits are supplemented by roadside checks.

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the current standards and regulations which apply to the transportation of(a) inflammable and (b) hazardous material by road.

Mr. Chope

The regulations, which cover all dangerous goods, are:

  • The Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981.
  • The Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances Regulations 1984.
  • The Road Traffic (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Packages etc) Regulations 1986.
  • The Road Traffic (Carriage of Explosives) Regulations 1989.

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish a national accident database for accidents involving the road transportation of hazardous and inflammable materials; how many such accidents have taken place within a 30-mile radius of Southampton in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

The Health and Safety Executive maintains a database which contains information on those incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. The numbers reported in HSE's area south, which covers Hampshire, Dorset, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight were:

Number
1987–88 9
1988–89 12
1989–90 114
1 Provisional.

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