HC Deb 02 December 1981 vol 14 c151W
Mr. Les Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish figures for the years 1975 to the latest date available for convictions of road haulage transport operators for overloading, speeding and violations of drivers' hours and construction and use regulations.

Mr. David Howell

I shall write to the hon. Member in the next few days with the available information.

Heavy Goods Vehicle Testing Scheme Summary of Tests
Financial Year
1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81
Number of Motor Vehicles and Trailers 735,282 717,452 709,730 727,211 729,573 771,963
Number Passed 574,954 566,728 559,074 571,117 572,962 625,362
Number Failed 160,328 150,724 150,656 156,094 156,611 146,601
Percentage Failure Rate 21.8 21.0 21.2 21.5 21.5 19.0

Vehicles may fail on any one or more of a wide range of testable items. I shall write to the hon. Member giving him details of these and of the associated failure rates.

Mr. Les Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish figures for the years 1975 to the latest date available showing expenditure on repairs to motorways and other roads for which his Department is wholly or partly or partly responsible, following damage or wear which is wholly attributable to heavy goods vehicles.

Mr. David Howell

This information is already published in the series "The Allocation of road Track Cost", copies of which are available in the House Library.

Mr. Les Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made a total social cost benefit analysis of savings to road transport operators, inconvenience and delay to other road users, additional damage and wear and tear on roads and the environmental impact of any decision to raise heavy goods vehicle gross vehicle weights from 32 to 40 tonnes; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. David Howell

I refer the hon. Member to my statement on 1 December, and to the White Paper, Cmnd. 8439, and the note by my Department on the effects of increasing lorry weights, published on that day.