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Holiday stalls fine rise
Page 8
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• Progress of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill—in which fines for hauliers found with stowaways in their trucks will rise to 24,000—has been stalled now the Lords is on its summer recess.
The delay will mean it is some time before the Bill receives Royal Assent, but the Freight Transport Association's head of campaigns and parliamentary affairs, Chris Welsh, warns that it will return to the Lords for further discussion after the summer recess.
Welsh says the campaign against the Bill waged by the road haulage industry has enabled the government to be "grilled" about its proposals—something which was not possible as there was no consultation prior to the Bill being brought before Parliament.
"The government has been put on the back foot as it can't respond authoritatively to [questions onl the amendments," he says.
Welsh adds that the FTA will now be asking its international group members to write to their MPs about the intimidation and danger facing their drivers from potential stowaways after the results of a survey found that almost one in four drivers has experienced physical violence (CM25-31 July).
"We then want MPs to write to Ministers, adding weight to the moves of Lord Attlee and other pears," he says.
• Tory backbencher Lord Attlee is tabling the road haulage industry's suggested amendments. These include removing operator liability for fines incurred by drivers for carrying stowaways and the setting-up of an independent tribunal to hear appeals against the fines ( CM20-26 June).
• Perry Wacker, the truck driver convicted of the manslaughter of 58 illegal immigrants who died as he brought them into the UK, has lost his appeal against his 14-year sentence.