Farm Vehicles (Hansard, 18 October 1993)

§ Mr. Salmond
To' ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the requirement for road tax discs, number plates, lights, and directional indicators to be available and in working order will be applied to all farm vehicles ; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Key
The only mechanically propelled farm vehicles which are exempt from vehicle excise duty are those not used on the public road, or used for distances not exceeding 6 miles in any calendar week when the journey is for travelling between land in the occupation of the registered keeper.
When used on the road, agricultural machines and trailers are required by the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971—SI 1971/450—to display a registration mark. All agricultural vehicles used on the road must be fitted with front and rear position lamps and rear reflectors. Tractors manufactured since 1 April 1986 must also have dipped headlamps, direction indicators and a hazard warning signal device. Any vehicle with a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph, including tractors, must also display an amber warning beacon when travelling along an unrestricted dual carriageway. We strongly recommend their use on other roads as well. All lamps and reflectors must be kept clean and in good working order. We have no plans to require additional lighting equipment to be fitted on older vehicles.

§ Mr. Salmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to limit the width of farm vehicles using public roads in the same manner as commercial road transport; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Key
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 1979 regulate the dimensions of agricultural vehicles used on public roads. These regulations require notification to be given to the police of the date, time and route of the journey before vehicles over 2.9 m width are used on the road and in the case of vehicles over 3.5 m width an attendant is required to give warning to other road users. Vehicles over 4.3 m width can be used only under individual authorisation and the need for the journey must be justified. I see no need for additional regulation of these vehicles.

§ Mr. Salmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the number of accidents caused as a result of farm vehicles leaving dirt on the road in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Key
This information is not collected by central Government.

§ Mr. Salmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he has taken to ensure the enforcement of laws relating to dirt on the road without prejudice; how many farmers have been prosecuted in each of the last five years for leaving dirt on roads; and if he will make a statement.
18W

§ Mr. Key
My Department's highway responsibilities are confined to England. In England, it is for individual highway authorities to take action under the Highways Act 1980, at common law, or under specific local byelaws, to deal with dirt on roads which they consider to be a hazard or obstruction.
Information on the numbers of such prosecutions could be provided only at disproportionate expense.

§ Mr. Salmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend the duties of his Department's roadside inspection of commercial vehicles to farm vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Key
The Vehicle Inspectorate's examiners have and use the power to make roadside inspections of farm vehicles and to prohibit their use if they are unroadworthy. We have no plans, however, to make farm vehicles a specific priority for roadside inspection. Farm vehicles are also subject to spot checks by the Health and Safety Executive, which has powers to prohibit the use of vehicles if they are in an unsafe or improperly maintained condition.