§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Transport, in the light of the information sent to him by the hon. Member for Faversham that probably more than half the articulated lorries with 40 foot, 12.2 metres, semi-trailers now on the road in Great Britain are more than 15 metres long and that the overall length law is not rigidly enforced, if he is satisfied with the level of enforcement; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RodgersI accept that there may be cases in which vehicles in this class are slightly exceeding the legal limit on length due to factors such as the particular combination of tractive unit and trailer and to safety features such as bumpers. I am not, however, aware of any substantial and widespread infringement in this respect, and I have no reason to believe that the law is not being reasonably enforced.