§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to monitor progress in achieving the recommendations of the Armitage report on "Lorries and the Environment"; and if he will set out the progress already achieved.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy right hon. Friend set out progress in implementing our package of measures in response to the Armitage report in his reply to the hon. Member for Faversham (Mr. Moate) on 13 December 1983 at column 391. Since then four of the bypass schemes have been opened to traffic, leaving 156 major trunk road bypass schemes in planning or under construction. Draft regulations were recently issued to make the fitting of spray suppression devices on the majority of heavy lorries compulsory by November 1985. Lorries will pay some £160 million more in motoring tax than their road track costs in 1984–85. Licensing authorities will be able to apply new environmental controls on lorry operating centres to operators' licences from 1 June. We have accepted and acted on the great majority of the recommendations of the Armitage report.