HC Deb 04 December 1979 vol 975 c137W
Mr. Penhaligon

asked the Minister of Transport why a report in 1977 by N. W. Lister of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory on the damaging effects of heavy goods vehicles was published in Paris but not in Great Britain; and whether he will order that the latest information on the damaging effect of 10-ton axles, including information obtained from the Transport and Road Research Laboratory's road machine No. 3, is made available as rapidly as possible.

Mr. Fowler

I think the hon. Member is referring to a paper which Mr. Lister contributed to an OECD symposium in 1977, and which summarised the state of knowledge at that time. It drew in part on material already published by the Department of the Environment in 1976. This paper was included in the proceedings of the symposium which are available free from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. The laboratory has a continuing programme of research in this field and in accordance with its established practice the results are published as they become available.

Mr. Penhaligon

asked the Minister of Transport why a report of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory on road damage, numbered LR910, was not published in October; and whether he will now order its publication.

Mr. Fowler

This report is to be published on Thursday of this week, December 6; a digest of it was given to Sir Arthur Armitage on 30 October.