To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on levels of demand for conducting annual tests of heavy goods vehicles outside standard working hours.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on levels of demand for conducting annual tests of heavy goods vehicles outside standard working hours.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of heavy goods vehicles the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency conducted outside core business hours between April 2009 and February 2010.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of heavy goods vehicles the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency conducted outside core business hours between April 2009 and February 2010.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicles failed an MOT test for incorrectly adjusted headlamps in the last five years.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicles failed an MOT test for incorrectly adjusted headlamps in the last five years.

The Department for Transport has today issued a consultation document on our proposals to remove or modify some of the exemptions from the statutory annual roadworthiness testing scheme which currently apply to certain categories of heavy goods vehicles. I have placed copies of the document in the House Library.

The Department for Transport has today issued a consultation document on our proposals to remove or modify some of the exemptions from the statutory annual roadworthiness testing scheme which currently apply to certain categories of heavy goods vehicles. I have placed copies of the document in the House Library.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to use private goods vehicle testers in Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency in place of the goods vehicle testing centre operated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to use private goods vehicle testers in Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency in place of the goods vehicle testing centre operated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the MOT test in identifying vehicles which may be dangerous due to blacking out or tinting of windows.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the MOT test in identifying vehicles which may be dangerous due to blacking out or tinting of windows.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles have been carried out in (i) England and (ii) Wales by staff of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the last three years.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles have been carried out in (i) England and (ii) Wales by staff of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the last three years.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles were carried out at the Llandrindod Wells test centre in each of the last three years; and how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency received from such...

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many tests of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles were carried out at the Llandrindod Wells test centre in each of the last three years; and how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency received from such...

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the safety for riders of the swerve manoeuvre in the motorcycle test; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the safety for riders of the swerve manoeuvre in the motorcycle test; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of transferring commercial vehicle testing to the private sector.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of transferring commercial vehicle testing to the private sector.

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. The power is time-limited; the proposal is that the time should be limited to nine months, with the option of having a further three months thereafter. It is, in our opinion, highly unlikely that a transport operator would not be found, because...

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. The power is time-limited; the proposal is that the time should be limited to nine months, with the option of having a further three months thereafter. It is, in our opinion, highly unlikely that a transport operator would not be found, because...

We are making that provision in the Bill, and as I said, we will be consulting on our guidance and so on with trade unions and bus operators alike to take the provisions forward. They are clearly laid out on the face of the Bill to give a true minimum...

We are making that provision in the Bill, and as I said, we will be consulting on our guidance and so on with trade unions and bus operators alike to take the provisions forward. They are clearly laid out on the face of the Bill to give a true minimum...

This covers all employees who have been working under quality contract schemes. Let me turn finally to issues of unfair dismissal, particularly whether it is automatically unfair if an employee is dismissed by an operator who fails to win a quality contract. We do not believe that that constitutes unfair...

This covers all employees who have been working under quality contract schemes. Let me turn finally to issues of unfair dismissal, particularly whether it is automatically unfair if an employee is dismissed by an operator who fails to win a quality contract. We do not believe that that constitutes unfair...

This provision is for a time-limited period of nine months, plus three months as a further option, to get the contracts in place. Under the scheme, there is a period of time for the contract that was running, so it would be for the remainder of that period that this...

This provision is for a time-limited period of nine months, plus three months as a further option, to get the contracts in place. Under the scheme, there is a period of time for the contract that was running, so it would be for the remainder of that period that this...

I understand what my hon. Friend is trying to achieve. However, if I am to revisit the matter before the end of Report, I shall have to move extremely quickly to do it before 9 o'clock. I ask hon. Members to accept that we have recognised the issue of the...

I understand what my hon. Friend is trying to achieve. However, if I am to revisit the matter before the end of Report, I shall have to move extremely quickly to do it before 9 o'clock. I ask hon. Members to accept that we have recognised the issue of the...

No; let me make some progress. In common, however, with my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central, I want to respond to the amendments and to comments made by right hon. and hon. Members in the debate. Indeed, it would be discourteous not to do so. My hon....

No; let me make some progress. In common, however, with my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central, I want to respond to the amendments and to comments made by right hon. and hon. Members in the debate. Indeed, it would be discourteous not to do so. My hon....