§ Mark TamiTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance she is providing to the road haulage industry to ensure the implementation of the Working Time Directorate; and what discussions she has had with the Road Haulage Association on the implementation of the Directorate. [122886]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have been asked to reply.
The Government have consulted both sides of the road transport industry (including the Road Haulage Association) on the transposition of the Horizontal Amending Directive (2000/15/EC) and the sector specific Road Transport Directive (2002/15/EC) into domestic legislation. The main impact of the Horizontal Amending Directive, which comes into force on 1 August 2003, will be on non-mobile workers in the road transport sector, and DTI will shortly publish a revised set of guidance notes on the new directive.
The Road Transport Directive is more significant for mobile workers in the road haulage industry and needs to be implemented by 23 March 2005. We will shortly publish a consultation document on our proposals for implementing this directive.
My officials are helping the industry to prepare for the introduction of these Directives by participating in seminars on the subject.