HC Deb 31 January 1997 vol 289 c391W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections he has made as to the change in the number of heavy goods vehicles if 44-tonne lorries are allowed on to British roads. [13552]

Mr. Watts

Our consultation document, "Lorry Weights", published in December, explained the uncertainty of any estimates, but concludes that eventually there might be between 3,200 and 6,500 fewer heavy lorries on our roads than would otherwise have been the case, depending on the extent to which 44-tonne lorries would cause some goods to be switched from rail to road.