§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will make a statement on the implementation in Great Britain of the EEC regulations governing drivers' hours and distances;
(2)whether he will make a statement on the use of tachographs in heavy vehicles;
(3)whether he will make a statement on the enforcement of regulations concerning drivers' hours and distances and tachographs.
§ Mr. William RodgersIn reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bradley), on 4th November—[Vol. 938, c. 8–10]—I said that at its October meeting the Transport Council had agreed to an amendment to EEC Regulation 543/69 under which the Commission could authorise the United Kingdom and Ireland to phase the implementation of the regulation over a period of three years. The Commission finally issued its decision on 30th December, and I have now laid before the House the Community Drivers' Hours Rules (Temporary Modifications) Regulation 1978, which gives effect to this.
In spite of the transitional arrangements, adaptation to the wholly new legal structure and to the changes in actual limits that apply from this month cannot in practice be achieved immediately. A period of six months for "running in" is clearly sensible. The Government are ensuring that enforcement authorities are aware of the difficulties of the situation, and in particular understand the problem arising from the obligation to use a tachograph in heavy articulated vehicles for journeys over 450 km, unless a second driver is provided.