Clause 38 - General monitoring duty

Automated Vehicles Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 11:00 am ar 19 Mawrth 2024.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Bill Esterson Bill Esterson Shadow Minister (Transport) 11:00, 19 Mawrth 2024

I beg to move amendment 26, in clause 38, page 25, line 35, at end insert—

“(3A) A report published under subsection (3) must be laid before both Houses of Parliament.”

This amendment would require reports containing the Secretary of State’s conclusions on the monitoring and assessment of automated vehicle performance to be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

Photo of Martin Vickers Martin Vickers Ceidwadwyr, Cleethorpes

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Clause stand part.

Clause 39 stand part.

Government amendment 1.

Clause 40 stand part.

Photo of Bill Esterson Bill Esterson Shadow Minister (Transport)

This amendment requires that the reports containing the Secretary of State’s conclusions on the monitoring and assessment of automated vehicle performance be laid before both Houses. It addresses the points about insurance and operator responsibility that my hon. Friend the Member for Easington made in relation to an earlier clause. We need a guarantee that those running automated vehicles are continuing to keep the vehicles in the state that they were in and are maintaining and updating them appropriately.

We are pleased to say that, in the Lords, the Government changed the statement of safety principles from being subject to the affirmative procedure to being subject to the negative one to improve accountability to Parliament, and we ask that something similar be done to increase parliamentary scrutiny of the monitoring and assessment of automated vehicle performance.

Photo of Anthony Browne Anthony Browne Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State commits in the clause to monitor, and to publish annually their assessment of, the application of the statement of safety principles. Everyone who is interested in it will have access to it, including parliamentarians, so, again, the amendment is unnecessary.

Photo of Bill Esterson Bill Esterson Shadow Minister (Transport)

I accept the Minister’s assurance that, although he is not going to follow the affirmative principle, he is going to make the assessment available to us. With that, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 38 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 39 ordered to stand part of the Bill.