Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the action the owners of tankers carrying dangerous substances must take in the event of an emergency to ensure that dealing with any spillage, or fire can be carried out with the utmost protection to personnel who have to attend to such an emergency.
§ Mr. KeyUnder the Road Traffic (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1992 the operator of a road tanker or of a vehicle with a tank container carrying a dangerous substance must ensure that its driver has received adequate information in writing about the identity of the substance, the quantity to be carried, the nature of the hazards created by the substance and the action to be taken in an emergency. The driver must keep that written information in the vehicle cab, so that it is readily available if needed by the emergency services.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will press, through the European Fire Service Organisation, for the retention of some form of emergency action code, including hazchem, to be used throughout the EEC; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyIt is for the fire service inspectorate to press the case for an international emergency action code in the International Technical Committee for the Prevention and Extinguishing of Fires (CITE). I understand it will continue to do so.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will take steps to ensure that all road tankers carrying dangerous substances will continue to carry the necessary hazard warnings which identify the substance carried; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make it his policy that the United Kingdom system of tanker marking, as distinct from the continental system, will be used at all times when dangerous substances are being carried on roads in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyA draft EEC directive on the carriage of dangerous goods by road currently contains a provision which will allow British road tankers carrying dangerous substances in the United Kingdom to continue to display the existing United Kingdom hazard warning labels. Vehicles registered in other countries will however be allowed on our roads, as they always have been hitherto, if they display the hazard warning plates required by the European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road. The United Kingdom has so far been unable to persuade a majority of the countries party to the agreement to amend it so as to adopt the United Kingdom system.