HC Deb 13 July 1995 vol 263 cc709-11W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the annual basic pay for traffic examiners, senior traffic examiners and vehicle examiners in each year since 1984; [33586]

(2) what were the numbers of immediate and delayed prohibitions imposed by the Vehicle Inspectorate on trucks for each year since 1984; [33582]

(3) how many hours were lost in Vehicle Inspectorate enforcement for each year since 1984 because police resources could not be provided; [33584]

(4) how many staff are employed within the Vehicle Inspectorate (a) full time and (b) as part of their other duties to train (i) traffic examiners and (ii) vehicle examiners; [33587]

(5) how many senior traffic examiners were employed for each year since 1984; [33585]

(6) what targets the Vehicle Inspectorate has had regarding enforcement for each year since 1984; [33589]

(7) how much was spent on vehicle examiners and traffic examiners, not including testing station staff, for each year since 1984. [33581]

Mr. Norris

These are operational matters for the Vehicle Inspectorate agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ron Oliver to Ms Joan Walley, dated 13 July 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions on our enforcement activities. The number of immediate and delayed prohibitions on HGVs since 1984 is shown in the attached Annex A. Early information about the number of unproductive hours (attendance hours) resulting from unexpected withdrawal of police resources was provided in my reply to PQ 482/94/95 on 18 January. Discussions with police are continuing over delivery of support throughout the country and how this should continue to be monitored. Details of the Vehicle Inspectorate's targets are published each year in its Business Plan and are available from the House of Commons library. These have been issued since 1989. The additional £350,000 funding which has been made available to VI, together with other decisions on additional work, means that we are currently recruiting more traffic and vehicle examiners. My reply to you of 26 June (ref PQ 1939/94/95) gave general details of the number of traffic and vehicle examiners being recruited across the Vehicle Inspectorate to increase complement, cover anticipated retirements and substantially fill current temporary posts. There are 4 full and 8 part time trainers involved with internal training from VI staff. A proportion but not all of their work would be devoted to traffic and vehicle examiner training. Annex B provides details of pay ranges for traffic examiners, senior traffic examiners and vehicle examiners for the past 3 years. There is no basic rate of pay; progression through the pay spine is related to performance markings in the annual staff reports. We do not hold details of pay ranges prior to 1991. Annex C provides details of the number of senior traffic examiners for the last 4 years. The Vehicle Inspectorate did not take on traffic enforcement activities until 1991.

Annex A: Immediate and delayed prohibitions issued to heavy goods vehicles for roadworthiness defects
All prohibitions
Year Immediate Delayed
1984–85 3,619 6,956
1985–86 5,545 8,477
1986–87 4,260 5,331
1987–88 7,693 11,727
1988–89 7,774 10,446
1989–90 7,816 9,433
1990–91 9,229 10,615
1991–92 9,827 10,788
1992–93 11,041 11,040
1993–94 10,834 11,426
1994–95 11,516 11,788
Annex B: National pay 1991–1993
Year TE STE PTO
1993 Min—£11,208 Min—£14,126 Min—£11,766
Std1—£14,307 Std1—£16,835 Std1—£16,168
1992 Min—£11,097 Min—£14,022 Min—£11,592
Std1—14,165 Std1—£16,668 Std1—£15,929
1991 Min—£10,444 Min—£13,332 Min—£11,146
Std1—£13,605 Std1—£16,009 Std1—£15,316
1 These figures are the "Standard" pay which staff in these grades will reach before the upper levels of performance-related pay apply.
Annex C: Total number of STEs from 1992–95
Date Total number of STEs
31 May 1995 24
25 May 1994 25
30 April 1993 30
31 May 1992 35

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