§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has made to(a) the EC Commission and (b) his counterparts in each other EU Member state, about compliance and enforcement of legislation relating to tachographs; and if he will make a statement; [52129]
(2) what representations he has received concerning the compliance of other EU member states with legislation relating to tachographs. [52130]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions have neither made nor received any representations about the enforcement of the drivers' hours regulations in other European Union Member States.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of tachographs were inspected by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available: what was the equivalent figure in each other EU member state; and if he will make a statement. [52128]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonCouncil Directive 88/599/EEC requires Member States to check a minimum of 1 per cent. of days worked by drivers falling within the scope of the EU drivers' hours rules under Regulation 3820/85. All Member States are required to submit a biennial return on the implementation of the Regulation to the European Commission which, in turn, produces a report based on the information received. The last European Commission report covered the years 1993 and 1994. Explanatory Memorandum No. 5051/98 advised Parliament on the content of that report.
In 1997–98 the Vehicle Inspectorate checked a total of 1,770,271 charts, which exceeds the UK target. Comparable figures from other Member States are not yet available.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the treatment of four-by-four vehicles pulling trailers carrying goods in connection with a trade or business and with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or more is regulated under legislation on tachographs in the same way in each EU member state; and if he will make a statement. [52131]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonEuropean Union (EU) Regulation 3820/85, which applies to vehicles used for the carriage of goods where the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle, including any trailer, exceeds 3.5 tonnes, is directly applicable in all EU Member States. In the UK it is necessary to augment the directly applicable legislation by including in domestic legislation details of708W infringements and penalties that can be incurred on conviction for a drivers' hours or tachograph related offence.