HC Deb 19 July 1989 vol 157 cc195-6W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list any classes of vehicle that have an entitlement to use blue lamps but are not used for police, fire or ambulance purposes;

(2) if he will list those regulations that are currently in force that control the use of blue lamps on police, fire, ambulance or any other types of vehicle;

(3) if he will specify what is covered by the terms (a) warning beacon and (b) special warning lamp as used in road traffic regulations; and if he will list those regulations that are currently in force that control where on a vehicle these may be attached.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

In addition to ambulances and motor vehicles used for fire brigade and police purposes, the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1984 allow the following categories of emergency vehicle to use blue lampsMotor vehicles owned by a body formed primarily for the purposes of fire salvage and used for those or similar purposes; Motor vehicles owned by the Forestry Commission or a local authority and used from time to time for the purposes of fighting fires; Motor vehicles owned by the Secretary of State for Defence and used—

  1. (i) for the purposes of the disposal of bombs or explosives,
  2. (ii) by the Naval Emergency Monitoring Organisation for the purposes of a nuclear accident or an incident involving radio-activity,
  3. (iii) by the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service for the purposes of rescue operations or any other emergencies, or
  4. (iv) by the Royal Air Force Armament Support Unit; motor vehicles primarily used for the purposes of the Blood Transfusion Service provided under the National Health Service Act 1977 or under the National Health (Scotland) Act 1978;
motor vehicles used by Her Majesty's Coastguard Auxiliary Service for the purposes of giving aid to persons in danger or vessels in distress on or near the coast; motor vehicles owned by the National Coal Board and used for the purposes of rescue operations at mines; motor vehicles owned by the Royal National Lifeboat institution and used for the purposes of launching lifeboats; and motor vehicles primarily used for the purposes of conveying any human tissue for transplanting or similar purposes.

Current requirements controlling the use of blue lamps on emergency vehicles are given in regulations 11(2), 13, 15 and 23(6) of the regulations.

The regulations specify that a warning beacon means a lamp that is capable of emitting a flashing or rotating beam of light throughout 360° in the horizontal plane. A special warning lamp is defined as a lamp fitted to the front or rear of an emergency vehicle, capable of emitting a blue flashing light and not any other kind of light. Schedule 15 to the Regulations sets out the positioning requirements for warning beacons. There are no specific fitting provisions laid down for special warning lamps.