§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many coaches have been found to be seriously overloaded after arrival at Channel ports from mainland Europe during the last year in which statistics are available.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleCoach traffic from mainland Europe is not specifically targeted for weighing at ports of entry. But of the 506 coaches weighed by the Vehicle Inspectorate at the Department's weighbridge site on the A2 near Dover during the year ending 31 October 1992, the vast majority will have entered the United Kingdom from mainland Europe. Eighty-three coaches—some 16 per cent. of those weighed—were found to be seriously overloaded and were immediately prohibited from continuing their journeys.