Driving: Working Hours

Alistair Burt
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will seek an exemption for recreational horsebox drivers from EU regulations on drivers’ hours; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark
The EU drivers’ hours rules, which are directly applicable in all EU member states, apply to most drivers of goods vehicles in excess of 3.5 tonnes.

There are a number of exemptions from the EU rules, one of which applies to vehicles not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods—which would include some privately owned horseboxes.