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HGV Driver Shortages
13 September 2021
Lead MP
Grant Shapps
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
BrexitBusiness & Trade
Other Contributors: 39
At a Glance
Grant Shapps raised concerns about hgv driver shortages in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, addressed the House on actions taken to address HGV driver shortages, noting it as a global issue exacerbated by the pandemic. He highlighted that vocational driving tests have increased from 2,000 per week pre-pandemic to 3,000 now, marking a 50% increase. Last Friday's announcement included additional measures such as eliminating the need for some car drivers who want to tow trailers to take an extra test, improving efficiency in testing by removing certain elements and allowing quicker licensing for articulated vehicles without needing smaller vehicle licences first. The Department is also prioritising licence applications and supporting industry training initiatives. Funding of £1 million has been provided for the Roads to Logistics scheme to encourage ex-military leavers, ex-offenders, and the long-term unemployed into HGV driving.
Jim McMahon
Lab Co-op
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
Question
McMahon questioned the effectiveness of proposed measures like eliminating the reversing test element. He mentioned that only 9,000 HGV driving tests were completed in 2019 before Brexit and highlighted industry warnings about shortages for years.
Minister reply
Shapps clarified that the reversing manoeuvre will be handed to training organisations rather than the DVSA conducting it directly. He also defended his approach against importing labour, stating it undercuts British workers' wages.
Question
Merriman questioned whether the solution is to increase pay for HGV drivers and called for an industry adaptation rather than relying on foreign labour.
Minister reply
Shapps agreed that increasing salaries, better remuneration, and conditions are sensible ways to address driver shortages. He also pointed out demographic challenges within the HGV sector.
Gavin Newlands
SNP
Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Question
The crisis caused by Brexit is impacting daily life, with concerns over the loosening of regulation on safety and lack of notice given to training providers. He also inquires about the government's stance on issuing temporary visas for HGV drivers.
Minister reply
Acknowledges long-term efforts addressing driver shortages through initiatives like the Road to Logistics fund aimed at ex-forces personnel and those unemployed, working towards industry-led accreditation schemes to expand skills base.
Stephen Crabb
Con
Beaconsfield
Question
Asks about potential for ex-offenders to be supported into rewarding careers within the HGV driving sector through collaboration with the Prison Service.
Minister reply
Confirms ongoing discussions with various departments including Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions, noting that Road to Logistics scheme already considers ex-offenders.
Ruth Cadbury
Lab
Brentford and Isleworth
Question
Requests release of impact assessments regarding safety implications of proposed changes such as extended driving hours and rules on pulling trailers.
Minister reply
Stresses commitment to road safety, highlighting existing data on trailer pulling by 16 million drivers. Mentions that testing is being moved rather than removed, with continued close monitoring of safety.
Mary Robinson
Con
Croydon North
Question
Suggests addressing issues preventing people from entering the HGV driving industry, including provision of safe and quality rest stops for drivers.
Minister reply
Acknowledges importance of improving stop facilities to attract more people into the sector, noting collaboration with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on planning.
North East Fife
Question
Highlights current supply chain issues faced by local businesses, such as food processing co-operatives struggling due to reduced lorry deliveries.
Minister reply
Acknowledges broader supply chain challenges beyond driver shortages, including global and European factors. Offers to meet industry representatives to explore solutions.
John Redwood
Con
Wokingham
Question
Proposes working with local government and Department for Transport to identify public sector land that could be used to provide better facilities for HGV drivers.
Minister reply
Agrees on the need for improved facilities and confirms ongoing efforts in this regard.
Barry Sheerman
Lab
Huddersfield
Question
Raises concerns about health and welfare of HGV drivers, referencing research indicating significantly reduced life expectancy due to poor road conditions and air quality.
Minister reply
Acknowledges need for improved standards but notes improvements in road investment and truck air quality. Announces consultation on ending diesel truck sales.
Fay Jones
Lab
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Question
Invites the Secretary of State to meet regarding concerns raised by A.E. Gough and Sons, including poor rest facilities for drivers.
Minister reply
Offers to meet to discuss improving truck stop conditions and attracting more people into the industry.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
Food products missing from supermarket shelves are commonplace, but my constituents are worried not only about the food shortages, but the shortages in vital medical equipment. We cannot resolve the supply chain problems if the Government will not face up to the cause. Will the Secretary of State admit that his Government’s trade and co-operation agreement with the EU is at the heart of the chronic shortages?
Minister reply
I cannot stand at this Dispatch Box and admit something that is patently untrue. It is not just me saying that; it is the labour unions and the international haulage associations, all of whom are saying that the pandemic is of course the root cause.
Saqib Bhatti
Con
Meriden and Solihull East
Question
Last time I checked, Germany, which requires 45,000 drivers, and Poland which requires 123,000 drivers, were still within the European Union. Despite the Scottish National party and the Labour party trying to paint this as a Brexit issue, will my right hon. Friend please reconfirm to the House that this is a global issue?
Minister reply
I just cannot put it better than my hon. Friend. Those countries are in the EU, as are France, Spain and Italy in addition. All have enormous shortages of drivers.
Question
Does the Minister regret the number of times representatives of his party, including Ministers, claimed that the prospect of empty shelves as a result of Brexit was some baseless fear project?
Minister reply
If the hon. Gentleman had his way, he would be importing drivers from England to settle the shortage. It just makes no sense.
David Mundell
Con
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Question
Does he recognise that there is still a concern about the short term and that many of the measures will take some time to work through? What does he envisage happening in the short term to allay fears in my constituency and elsewhere about people getting the goods they want for Christmas, for example?
Minister reply
First, it is important to say that many of the solutions rest with the sector. It is not simply the Government who need to resolve the supply shortages; as I said earlier, it goes much wider to the maritime industry and others as well.
Question
We have heard from the Secretary of State that this phenomenon has absolutely nothing to do with him, but the reality is that last year’s immigration Bill was not accompanied by any alternative domestic skills plan whatsoever, and that has quickly caught up with the Government, who rejected all of Labour’s calls for impact assessments that would have identified critical skills gaps. One of my local businesses told me that its sector is at crisis point and that the HGV driver shortage is making supply-chain issues impossible. What can my local business do to recruit and retain HGV drivers to alleviate these crippling problems right now?
Minister reply
I am a little confused by the question because I have never said, “This is nothing to do with me.” In fact, I consider it the Department for Transport’s responsibility to propose measures to alleviate the problem.
Claire Coutinho
Con
East Surrey
Question
Opposition Members seem to be trying to paint this as a picture of Brexit and UK immigration policy, but does the Secretary of State agree that that does not explain the shortages seen in Poland, Germany, the United States and France and that if we do not accurately diagnose the problem as one of wages and conditions, we will not be able to solve it? Furthermore, does he agree that it is quite astonishing that the SNP and Labour seem to be against improving workers’ conditions?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is, of course, spot on. It is extraordinary to hear the Opposition’s absolute obsession with Brexit.
Ben Lake
PC
Ceredigion Preseli
Question
I have been contacted by a number of drivers in Ceredigion who believe that a long-term solution to the crisis must include improving delivery times at distribution centres. Many drivers have told me of having to wait for hours while their loads are tipped at the centres and that preventing such long stays would go a long way to enhancing driver welfare and driver retention in the industry. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss that further?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes the good point that we have a just-in-time delivery system in this country, and we must maintain it.
Question
The Prime Minister has often declared his love of buses in this place, so does the Secretary of State recognise that there are recruitment issues not just in the HGV sector, but in the bus sector? In rural and isolated constituencies such as mine of North Norfolk, that has real problems. Would the Secretary of State reassure me that he will put as much energy as he can into recruiting people into the HGV sector as into the bus sector?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the need for vocational training and testing in all sectors.
Question
It has been highly amusing seeing the Secretary of State paint himself somehow as Comrade Shapps, a champion of the workers who is enhancing terms and conditions while at the same time increasing workers’ hours. Actually, this measure has a really detrimental effect on health and safety. I have written to the Secretary of State about a number of constituents who could not get their tests to become HGV drivers. Is it not about time that the Secretary of State sat down with the new general secretary of Unite, if he is so interested in terms and conditions and in improving wages?
Minister reply
There is a fundamental misunderstanding here, because what we have done does not increase workers’ hours.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Question
The British Army is one of the biggest employers of HGV drivers; it has about 2,000. What discussion has the Secretary of State had with our right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary about the use of some of those drivers to preserve critical supply chains were that to be necessary, and also about the impact of this crisis on retention? At the moment, supermarket chains are paying upwards of £60,000 to drivers, which is a very powerful inducement for people to leave the Army.
Minister reply
It is of course absolutely true that, with salaries increasing, more people are being encouraged to come into the sector.
Bill Esterson
Lab
Sefton Central
Question
Empty supermarket shelves, increasing prices of building materials and shortages of blood tests and flu jabs are an indication of a very serious set of crises. We are 90,000 short of drivers in this country, which is more than twice the figure in other countries mentioned by the Secretary of State. According to a constituent of mine, only eight tests were available at the Switch Island testing centre last week. Taking short cuts that undermine safety cannot possibly be the answer to this crisis. What is the answer—here, now, today—to this shortage?
Minister reply
Again, there seems to be some misunderstanding. First, the tests are still required for HGV drivers. We are not compromising safety; the tests are just taking place in a different place. For example, there is the C+E test, which used to have to be done separately and we are now combining them so that people do not first have to have done the C test before they do the E test. The measures put in place will provide immediate additional capacity with 50% more tests available today.
Question
I am pleased that Stroud’s haulage drivers are receiving recognition for how integral they are to the smooth running of our lives and businesses, and I hope that will help with recruitment. Has he considered making changes—temporary or otherwise—to certificate of professional competence training requirements, so that we can bring back experienced retired drivers more quickly?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an excellent point which has not come up in the debate yet. We considered CPC requirements during the transition period and made some changes, and will always keep a close eye on whether such changes are required. The issue is kept under constant review.
Question
In a Transport Committee meeting on 17 July 2019, I informed the then Secretary of State for Transport that post-Brexit we would be short of 50,000 HGV drivers. If the Government have been working on this matter for a long time, as stated by the Secretary of State just now, why are we facing this crisis?
Minister reply
Mr Speaker, it is called the pandemic.
Question
My right hon. Friend’s statement shows that the Conservative party is the true workers’ party. A Harlow HGV driver said to me that the big issue is conditions as has been pointed out. Is not the answer to this issue—indeed, this is the answer for so many problems to do with skills—to rocket-boost HGV apprenticeships? What is my right hon. Friend doing to work with the Department for Education and the Institute for Apprenticeships to rocket-boost those vital apprenticeships for HGV drivers?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We have raised the funding band from £6,000 to £7,000 to attract more people into large goods vehicle apprenticeships and we have also included an incentive payment of £3,000 for every apprentice hired as a new employee.
Question
The Secretary of State might be concerned that this problem is now affecting medical supplies. What specific short-term steps will he take to safeguard medical supplies, while we wait to see the impact of other measures announced?
Minister reply
Although that goes somewhat outside my remit, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the Department of Health and Social Care has robust programmes in place to ensure a supply of medical provisions including already having them in stock.
Question
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the excellent removal of the need for young people, who have been hit so hard by the pandemic, to spend their money on a trailer test. That is really welcome in rural communities, and with that extra freedom comes extra responsibility. When can those young people expect that policy to be implemented—is it today?
Minister reply
I am pleased to tell the House that the statutory instrument is going down, which means that the change will be made very soon indeed.
Question
It is safe to say that a big problem facing the HGV industry when it comes to recruitment is a lack of diversity. What steps will the Secretary of State’s Department take to make these jobs more attractive to women and black, Asian and minority ethnic drivers?
Minister reply
Firstly we need to ensure the job is properly remunerated, secondly terms and conditions must be commensurate with the job, thirdly I am working with colleagues across Government on how to attract people from diverse backgrounds.
Question
The Secretary of State has just acknowledged the need for a broader mix of people in the sector—particularly women, who make up only 1% of workers. He has also spoken about how improved facilities will help ease that. Does he agree that there is a great example at the UK’s newest motorway services, operated by Moto at junction 1 of the M6?
Minister reply
That is Corley service station which used to have an excellent Julie’s Pantry.
Karin Smyth
Lab
Bristol South
Question
I have worked closely with the Government for four years, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on trailer and towing safety, to secure an amendment to legislation following the tragic death of a toddler in my constituency. The Government’s proposed change 3 which would allow car drivers not to take the additional test is a bitter blow to the work that we have done over four years.
Minister reply
I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady about the importance of road safety and I am happy to arrange for a meeting with the hon. Lady and the APPG.
Question
Delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are delaying some people in getting their HGV licence and, indeed, other work. What steps is he taking to get the DVLA staff back to work and fully functioning to deal with the backlog and the delays?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am asking the DVLA to prioritise the issuing of HGV licences.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
Can the Secretary of State guarantee that there will not be shortages and empty shelves at Christmas because of the shortage of HGV drivers?
Minister reply
What I can guarantee is that we will do everything we possibly can to enable more HGV drivers to pass their tests and get on the road, but the whole solution is not in our hands.
Jack Brereton
Lab
Rother Valley
Question
Along with the many hauliers based in my constituency, I also have Don-Bur, which I recently visited. It makes HGV trailers and reported to me a huge increase in demand for its trailers because of the need for larger trailers. I very much welcome the announcement from my right hon. Friend on new larger-body trailers, but what more can be done to support this very important industry and, in particular, to get more people working in it?
Minister reply
I do hope the measures we are introducing will help. I also think the accreditation scheme we talked about, industry-led as it will be, will enable high quality companies, such as the ones in my hon. Friend’s constituency, to take advantage and help to train and secure better training for people who use trailers. I think the future is bright for the trailer firms in his patch.
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Question
Businesses in my constituency have been reporting labour shortages for many months now—not only HGV drivers but the meat processing and health and care sectors. However, the Welsh Government currently have no powers over immigration to help to address the situation. Does the Secretary of State not agree that if the Union was working, there would be nothing to stop the Welsh Government—and, indeed, the Scottish Government and the Northern Irish Executive for that matter—adding occupations to the shortage occupation list as an emergency measure to help to protect our economic interests?
Minister reply
It is a long-held reserved power. As the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom Government decide who can come into the country and under what circumstances. There are 6 million EU citizens with pre-settled status. They are not necessarily all here, but many could come and drive here. As I said to the Opposition Front Bencher, rather than trying to undercut people’s salaries, why do we not work on attracting more people into the sector by paying them a little bit more?
Henry Smith
Con
Epsom and Ewell
Question
I was recently in the US, where a shortage of 60,000 truck drivers was across the media. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the answer is improving standards and conditions for British workers, not undercutting them?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I think I saw the figure that the US will need another 1.5 million drivers over the next few years. It is experiencing very, very similar problems to those here within its own market, as are—this has been discussed many times now—many countries in the EU and beyond. It is a global supply issue. The British Government are doing everything within their power to ensure that we can help to ameliorate it as much as possible through the measures that I wish the Opposition would support.
Alan Brown
SNP
Central Ayrshire
Question
The Secretary of State rightly identified the long-term structural issues that have caused the shortage, but then he said it is a global issue and it is the pandemic. That suggests the measures put in place just now, on extra testing being available and longer driver journey times, will not work in the long term or the short term. On longer journey times for drivers, how many operators have notified the Department for Transport of relaxation and what analysis has it undertaken on how many operators are making their drivers drive for longer?
Minister reply
I can write to the hon. Gentleman with the answer to his question so that he has specific numbers. From recollection, it is in the low hundreds. Most of the companies that have notified of that have not, in fact, ended up needing to use it, but have been appreciative of the additional flexibility. I just want to express to the House again that this is not about what people think of as the EU driving hours. This enables flexibility. It does not enable people to suddenly drive without any caution about the amount of time they are driving. I will certainly write to him with the exact numbers he seeks.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Question
Logistics is massively important to Leicestershire due to our location. I was down in Hinckley at DPD only two weeks ago having this very discussion about the acute, middle and long-term problems, and this plan helps to address that. One of the key issues from all the logistics companies that contact is me how they can feed things in to the Secretary of State. As he rightly points out, the answers will come from within the industry. What is the best way that they can get their message heard?
Minister reply
I welcome any logistics company contacting me directly. I also regularly meet the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK, which are representative organisations for the haulage sector—I have done several times very recently and, as I said, over many years. As I say, I am very happy to hear directly from haulage companies in my hon. Friend’s constituency and those of other hon. Members about their first-hand experiences.
Jonathan Gullis
Lab
Burnley
Question
My grandfather Terry worked as a lorry driver, having left the Marines, for over 20 years for Bowyers in the town of Trowbridge. He was a Marine—a veteran—and we have a fantastic veteran community in Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove and Talke. I implore the Minister to share with us what discussions he has had with the Ministry of Defence and the Secretary of State about how to get our fantastic veterans into these jobs, filling these vacancies and getting the lorries moving on our roads.
Minister reply
I am very keen to do exactly as my hon. Friend suggests. That is why I funded Road to Logistics, which the Road Haulage Association has been leading on. The purpose of that plan is to bring former military personnel into this now excellent career, which is paying increasingly well.
Patricia Gibson
SNP
North Ayrshire and Arran
Question
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and no discourtesy was intended—it was because of transport difficulties. We have been told by Government Members that the HGV driver shortages and the consequential food and supply shortages have nothing to do with Brexit and that these challenges predate Brexit, although nobody can remember empty shelves before Brexit or indeed find them currently in any European country. Will the Secretary of State explain to what extent he thinks ending free movement and his Government’s hostile environment have helped or hindered the shortage of HGV drivers in the UK?
Minister reply
I do not want to repeat the last hour of this debate, but I have pointed out that there are 6 million EU citizens with pre-settled status, many of whom will either have the right to drive, if they already have their HGV licence, or may want to get it. We have operated a very generous, open programme—much more generous oftentimes than it is the other way around. I think we have already amply examined and proved that these problems are of a global nature, but this Government are trying to ensure that the supply chain to the UK continues as best as we can under those circumstances.
Shadow Comment
Jim McMahon
Shadow Comment
Jim McMahon criticised the Government's response as inadequate and too late. He highlighted business disruptions across various sectors due to supply chain issues and pointed out a significant drop in HGV driving test applications prior to Brexit and the pandemic. He questioned the Health and Safety Executive's report regarding reversing strikes leading to deaths, suggesting that removing the reversing element from testing increases risks.
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