§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have been taken out for each year since 1985 against haulage contractors and other firms employing long-distance lorry drivers for exceeding the permissible number of hours driving without a statutorily required break.
§ Mr. NorrisThe information is not available in the form requested. The total numbers of drivers' hours prosecutions, including exceeding the permissable number of hours without a statutory break for United Kingdom and foreign heavy goods vehicle drivers/operators were as follows:
406W
Number 1984–85 212 1985–86 193 1986–87 249 1987–88 1,654 1988–89 1,893 1989–90 2,243
Number 1990–91 2,310 1991–92 2,385 1992–93 2,898 1993–94 4,4221 1 There was a change in the method of recording drivers' hours prosecutions in 1993–94. In the previous years the numbers of prosecutions referred to the number of cases whereas the 1993–94 figures refer to the number of offences.