Goods Vehicle Testing Stations

HC Deb 31 May 1967 vol 747 cc13-4W

Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Minister of Transport if she will list all the goods vehicle testing stations that are being prepared, giving in each case the expected date of completion and the expected date that each will come into operation.

Mr. Swingler

Goods Vehicle testing stations are being prepared at the following places:—

England
Berwick.	Peterborough.
Newcastle.	Wolverhampton (Featherstone).
Carlisle.
Darlington.	Birmingham (Garrett's Green).
Scarborough (Seamer).
York (Walton).	Royston.
Skipton.	Worcester.
Beverley.	Ipswich.
Leeds (Rothwell).	Luton.
Preston (Kirkham).	Gloucester.
Huddersfield.	Bicester.
North of Manchester (Heywood).	Chelmsford.
	Edmonton.
South of Manchester (Bredbury).	Purfleet.
	Yeading.
Grimsby.	Mitcham.
Doncaster	Newbury.
Liverpool (Simonswood).	Canterbury.
	Gillingham.
Sheffield.	Guildford.
Wallasey.	Battle.
Stoke-on-Trent (Swynnerton).	Southampton (Botley).
Northampton (Weedon)	Lancing.
	Isle of Wight.
Sleaford (Spitalgate).	Bristol.
Nottingham (Watnall).	Calne.
	Salisbury.
Derby (Alvaston).	Taunton.
Shrewsbury.	Exeter.
Norwich.	Bournemouth (Poole).
Leicester.
Downham Market.	Plymouth.
	Camborne.
Scotland
Inverness.	Edinburgh (Livingston).
Aberdeen.
Perth.	Glasgow.
	Kilmarnock.
Wales
Wrexham.	Pontypool.
Ammanford.	Llantrisant.

Part-time facilities will be provided where the vehicle population is insufficient to warrant a full-time station and discussions are taking place with interested organisations on the siting of these facilities.

It is expected that most of the full-time stations will be completed between January and June, 1968, so that testing and plating of the heavier goods vehicles can start nationally in July, 1968. When testing stations are ready for occupation before this date, they will be staffed so that operators may voluntarily bring their vehicles for test and gain experience of the standards of testing applicable to vehicles being tested and plated.