asked the Secretary of State for Transport why he has proposed that the maximum permitted weight on the drive axle of the 38 tonne articulated vehicle with a two axle tractor, proposed in his draft regulations, should be 10·5 tonnes.

The 38-tonne vehicle as now proposed would give a 20 per cent. reduction in road damage in comparison with existing 32·5-tonne vehicles. It would also give acceptable loadings on bridges and good stability and wheel adhesion. A lower figure than 10·5 tonnes for the drive axle would be less safe and would increase the probability of overloading the trailer axles—those limited to 7·5 tonnes will be considerably lighter than the trailer axles on existing 32·5-tonne vehicles.