§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the BBC 2 Public Eye programme "Motorway Menace", shown on 6th November, what plans they have to tighten the laws on lorry drivers tampering with their tachographs.
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)We have no plans at present for changes to the current legislation. Most forms of tampering with tachographs, including those referred to in the programme, are readily detectable. The maximum penalty for producing a false tachograph chart by tampering with the device is currently £5,000 and, on conviction on indictment, a maximum of two years' imprisonment.
The specification for the tachograph, and for fitting it, is governed by EC regulations. An EC technical committee is currently considering future improve-ments to the integrity of the device.