Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum permitted laden weight for agricultural tractor and trailer combinations to 38 or 40 tonnes.
Answer
The size of agricultural vehicles in Great Britain is limited by a 2015 amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. This allows for a maximum laden weight of 31 tonnes. This weight is the total laden weight for a tractor and trailer, with the weight of a loaded trailer limited to 18.29 tonnes. There are currently no plans to review weight limits for driving agricultural vehicles on public roads. However, departmental officials are meeting with the National Farmers Union to consider proposals. The government recognises that modern agricultural machinery has increased in size and complexity but feels the current regulatory framework limits the amount of damage done to British roads and supports road safety while also providing benefits to the UK economy. While most agricultural vehicles are not subject to a mandatory annual MOT regime in the same way as most cars, they are nevertheless subject to legal roadworthiness requirements, maintenance obligations and enforcement activity when operating on public roads. They must comply with the standards set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, which give the legal requirements governing the condition and use of vehicles and trailers on the road. Responsibility for compliance rests with both the vehicle operator (which may include the vehicle owner, farmer or business using the vehicle) and the driver where they are different.
Verdict: AMBER (35/100)
The reply restates the current 31-tonne and 18.29-tonne lorry weight limits and says there are no current plans to review them, giving reasons such as road damage, safety and economic benefit. It does not assess the merits of a 38 or 40-tonne tractor and trailer combination, which was the specific point asked about. It also mentions a meeting with the National Farmers' Union to consider proposals, which sits uneasily with the statement that no review is planned, so the answer is only partly responsive and somewhat hedged. The person who asked would likely need to ask again for a direct position on the 38 or 40-tonne proposal.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the Department's assessment or view of the potential merits of increasing the maximum permitted laden weight for agricultural tractor and trailer combinations to 38 or 40 tonnes? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply sets out the current 31-tonne and 18.29-tonne limits and states there are no current plans to review weight limits, with a stated rationale (road damage, safety, economic benefit). However, it never assesses the merits of a 38 or 40-tonne tractor and trailer combination, and the NFU meeting to 'consider proposals' sits awkwardly with the refusal to review. |