§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Minister of Transport what agreement he has reached with the French Ministry of Transport about TIR heavy goods vehicles entering this country without carriers licences; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MarshAn agreement with the French Government was signed on 28th March under which operators of goods vehicles from either Britain or France intending to engage in international transport to or from the other country will be able to obtain, before departure, and from the authorities in their own countries, a special permit authorising them to make the required journey. Under this system, it is immaterial whether the vehicles move under the TIR convention, which is concerned only with the simplification of Customs procedures.
The agreement can come into force only after regulations have been made 165W under Section 190 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, as amended by Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962. These regulations can be made only after consultation with interested parties.
A second agreement signed at the same time will exempt hauliers from both countries from the principal taxes levied in the other country on goods vehicles. This agreement can come into force only after the making of an Order-in-Council, which is subject to the approval of both Houses.
The texts of these agreements will be presented to Parliament in due course.
§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Minister of Transport if he will hold discussions with the Italian Government about customs delays at the Mont Blanc Tunnel and Mont Cenis Pass affecting British TIR lorries and trailers; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MarshDelays at frontier posts on the Italian border seem to be occasioned by the system of licensing foreign hauliers entering that country. All non-Italian vehicles, including those moving under TIR procedures for Customs purposes, must obtain a licence issued by the Italian authorities before they can cross the Italian frontier. In some cases, British hauliers, possibly from ignorance or misunderstanding of the Italian rules, arrive at the Italian frontier without having made the necessary prior application for a licence.
Negotiations with the Italian Ministry of Transport to simplify the licensing procedures for road haulage between the two countries are in progress and there is a good prospect of reaching a satisfactory agreement within the next few months.