HC Deb 07 February 1990 vol 166 cc668-70W
Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on incidents of a Leyland DROPS trials vehicle overturning, since the last such incidents reported to the House, indicating whether the incidents occurred while being driven by Leyland-employed personnel or Ministry of Defence test drivers; and whether he is satisfied with the stability of these vehicles.

Mr. Alan Clark

While undergoing tests on 23 November 1989, a DROPS medium mobility vehicle was involved in an incident in which it fell on its side when negotiating a bend on the snake section of the track at RARDE Chertsey. The vehicle, owned by Leyland DAF, was being driven by a company employee. A subsequent inquiry established that excessive speed was the cause of the incident; the inherent stability of the vehicle is not in doubt.

Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessments he has made of the safety of DROPS vehicles on the public roads; and on what grounds the decision was taken to use vehicles which exceed normal legal limits on size.

Mr. Alan Clark

As part of trials at RARDE Chertsey, all military vehicles have to be approved as suitable for road use before they are allowed on to public roads. It is MOD policy to keep within Department of Transport construction and use regulations wherever operational circumstances permit. However, because of the mobility necessary to meet its operational role, exceptionally it was necessary in the case of the DROPS improved medium mobility vehicle to invoke Crown exemption to exceed the limit laid down for axle widths by 0.4 m.

Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been achieved towards achieving the last revised in-service date for DROPS and to state(a) which components of the complete DROPS supply system have been accepted for service, (b) which components of the complete DROPS supply system have now been ordered in production quantities and (c) when these individual components of the system will be in service.

Mr. Alan Clark

The DROPS medium-mobility vehicles, including the load handling system, and the standard flatracks, have been accepted for service and production quantities have been ordered. They will enter service some four to five months beyond the due date. The improved medium-mobility vehicles have been accepted for service subject to the reliability requirements being satisfied; their date of entry into service will depend upon the outcome of further trials. The rail transfer equipments have been accepted and ordered; deliveries are being made on schedule. The simple rail transfer equipments have yet to complete reliability trials and it is expected that these will enter service about a year late.

Production options for the DROPS long wheel-base trailers are expected to be exercised in the very near future and these should enter service about 12 months later than intended. It is anticipated that the MLRS trailers and flatracks, which are required in a later time scale, will enter service on schedule.

Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the driver of the DROPS trials vehicle, 42 KC 12, was advised by his Department to plead guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention; whether he was advised to enter or not to enter a plea of mitigation to the effect that, due to the size or design of the vehicle, he was unable to see the car he crushed; and whether the fine and costs imposed by Basingstoke magistrates court in December 1989 have been, or will be, reimbursed to the driver.

Mr. Alan Clark

The driver of the vehicle was given no advice and pleaded guilty of his own volition. He has considerable experience of driving this type of vehicle and freely admitted that the cause of the accident was driver error; a plea of mitigation was not made. He has not been and will not be reimbursed for the fine or the costs he incurred as a result.