§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to expand liability for drivers' hours to employers; what plans he has to exclude as a defence that employers have complied with the regulations if they have warned drivers not to exceed the permitted hours; and if he will make a statement. [27760]
§ Mr. NorrisUnder existing legislation employers can be, and are, prosecuted for drivers' hours and tachograph offences where it can be proven that they caused or permitted an offence to take place. In such circumstances, a warning given by the employer to the driver not to exceed the permitted hours might be taken into account but it would be up to a court to decide what weight, if any, to attach to such a warning.