Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average fine imposed on lorry drivers convicted for operating overweight lorries during the last five years; and [HL3775]
For the last five years, how many lorry drivers were convicted for operating lorries, which were overweight by (a) 0–5 tonnes; (b) 5–10 tonnes; (c) 10–20 tonnes; and (d) over 20 tonnes; and [HL3776]
How many drivers operating heavy goods vehicles registered (a) in the United Kingdom; and (b) outside the United Kingdom; have been convicted of driving overweight lorries. [HL3777]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe number of convictions, number of fines and the average fine for the offence of "exceeding gross weight or axle weight" in England and Wales for the years 1993 to 1997 was as follows:
Year Number of convictions Number of fines Average fine 1993 18,455 15,550 £250 1994 18,648 16,043 £273 1995 18,063 15,705 £288 1996 16,592 14,341 £291 1997 15,210 13,173 £303 The figures relate to light and heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches. "Lorries" are not separately identifiable in the figures collected centrally. Statistics for 1998 and 1999 are not yet available. Similar information is not available for Scotland. For Northern Ireland, the readily available information 141WA relates to the average fine for "goods vehicles contravening the weight provisions" which was £113 in 1995–96, £140 in 1996–97, £147 in 1997–98 and £144 in 1998–99 and £160 in 1999–2000.
Information obtained from the Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Food and Tradings Standards shows the following number of prosecutions in Great Britain in which lorries were overweight by the proportion stated:
Year Less than 5 per cent 5–10 per cent 10–20 per cent More than 20 per cent 1995–96 375 1,551 3,549 1,870 1996–97 356 1,359 3,684 1,959 1997–98 141 1,017 3,411 1,819 1998–99 127 917 3,501 1,891 1999–2000 81 584 2,729 1,713 Information is not available to show whether heavy goods vehicles driven while overweight were registered in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.