§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to increase the number of European road haulage permits, and of French and German road haulage permits issued to road haulage firms in Northern Ireland.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State strongly urged his European colleagues at the Council of Ministers on 2 December to abolish road haulage permit quotas after a short transitional period and in the meantime to agree to significant increases in the Community quota. The French and the Germans bilateral quotas are renegotiated annually. Resulting increases make more permits available to United Kingdom hauliers, including those in Northern Ireland.