Illegally Operated Goods Vehicles

HL Deb 18 July 2002 vol 637 cc174-5WA

Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they anticipated that illegal operators of goods vehicles could avoid having their vehicles impounded under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000 by using Irish number plates. [HL5261]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

The provisions of the Transport Act 2000 that introduced the impounding of illegally operated goods vehicles apply only to British registered vehicles. Foreign registered vehicles entering the UK must carry a certified copy of a Community authorisation as evidence that they comply with their own domestic operator licensing legislation of the state in which they are based. Vehicles without the required documentation can be prohibited and directed out of the country. The driver can also be prosecuted. Such offences are normally reported to the licensing authorities in the country of origin.