Government action on HGV driver shortage only ‘kicks can down the road’, Labour says

Responding to an open letter from Government Ministers to the road haulage industry, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon, Shadow Transport Minister Kerry McCarthy, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, and Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Luke Pollard said the measures are simply not enough to address the scale of the crisis.

In a joint letter, the five frontbenchers said the Government have only offered “short-term solutions” which risk compromising the safety of already exhausted drivers, increasing their working hours, and putting road users in danger by diluting test requirements for new drivers.

The letter warns food shortages could last through to the end of the year and urges the Government not to “ruin yet another Christmas for British families, after the chaos of last year”.

Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Roads and Future Transport, said:

“These measures just kick the can down the road for another year. This crisis is affecting businesses and consumers now, and the Government needs to understand that.

“Labour would take the steps needed to deal with the driving test backlog, invest in upskilling UK workers, and act swiftly to boost driver recruitment. Crucially, we would do this all without compromising road safety.”

Ends

Notes to editors

1. On the 20th July the Secretaries of State for Transport, Work and Pensions, and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published an open letter to the UK logistics sector setting out the measures they are taking to address the ongoing shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers – which is already having an impact on food supplies.

1. The driver shortage has been estimated to be between 76,000 to 90,000 drivers. This shortage existed before the Covid-19 pandemic, but has been worsened by Brexit making the UK a less attractive location for overseas drivers, primarily due to increased bureaucracy at UK borders. It has also been worsened by the pandemic leading to a 30,000 fall in the number of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers taking tests on the previous year.

1. The Government have already increased the legal working hours of HGV drivers in response to the shortage, to the dismay on industry representatives. This is a dangerous move that may compromise their safety if they are too exhausted to safely operate heavy vehicles.

1. The Government have also announced regulatory changes to driving tests to “speed up recruitment”, including removing off-road manoeuvres and rigid lorry practical tests from the testing obligations for new drivers. This also has the potential to threaten road safety for drivers and users.

1. Labour has demanded answers on the safety implications of the decision to dilute testing requirements and clarity on measures being taken to recruit more instructors and expand the capacity of existing testing facilities – which is our preferred solution.

1. Labour has demanded clarity on the measures being taken to address the crisis in food supply chains specifically. Including calling for the reestablishment of the DEFRA Food Resilience Industry Forum and whether measures will be reintroduced to suspend competition laws for supermarkets.

1. Labour recognises the importance of upskilling UK workers to increase driver numbers in the haulage industry, but this cannot be achieved overnight.

1. Labour notes the absence of the Home Secretary in this joint letter, and has demanded clarity on what work is being done with the Migration Advisory Committee to assess the extent of the skills shortage in this sector and how this can be recognised in the immigration points system.

1. Industry associations like the Road Haulage Association have criticised the Government’s proposals as they fail to address the crisis in the short-term. They have been clear that short-term changes are needed to the immigration system to swiftly address the driver shortage – but the Government has refused to listen.
   
   

2. As things stand, the crisis is likely to get worse before it gets better due to the Government’s mishandling of the pandemic and the subsequent spread of the Delta Variant (aka. The ‘Johnson Variant’) leading to self-isolation for many key workers.

1. The full text of the letter:

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP

Secretary of State for Transport

The Rt Hon George Eustice MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP

Home Secretary

The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

21st July 2021

Dear Secretaries of State,

Re: The Ongoing Shortage of Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers

We are writing in response to your open letter to the road haulage industry, which purported to address the ongoing driver shortages that are putting vital UK supply chains at risk.

The shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers has been estimated by industry groups to be between 76,000-90,000 drivers and has been worsened by a 30,000 fall in the number of HGV drivers taking tests.

The past few weeks have seen constant warnings about food shortages on shelves and food rotting in fields, and the impact of driver shortages could last from summer through to Christmas and beyond. Ministers' failures to plan and address these issues in advance is already causing difficulty for many sectors of the economy and risks undermining their recovery.

The seriousness of this situation cannot be overemphasised, and it is imperative that this Government does not ruin yet another Christmas for British families, after the chaos of last year.

Whilst we welcome some clarity on the actions being taken to address this shortage, it comes far too late and we have serious reservations about some of the actions set out.

The sudden recent announcement that the Government would extend working hours for HGV drivers, was met with disbelief by an industry that has been under immense pressure for several months. This decision will merely increase the workload of exhausted drivers and is unlikely to do much to address the wider of issue of driver shortages, we therefore cannot support this measure.

Can you therefore set out how many operators have taken advantage of the recent driving hours extension? And what assessment has the Department for Transport made of the impact on road safety?

We note that the Government is consulting on changes to HGV tests and considering regulatory changes to “speed up recruitment”, including removing off-road manoeuvres and rigid lorry practical tests.

Given the Government’s lax approach to driver safety demonstrated by the above changes to rules on working hours, this is deeply concerning. Can you therefore offer assurances that these changes to tests will not compromise road safety in any way?

Dilution of testing requirements aside, can you also clarify what measures you are taking to expand testing capacity through the recruitment of instructors and expansion of existing facilities?

The Road Haulage Association has called for the reestablishment of the DEFRA Food Resilience Industry Forum, yet your letter makes no mention of this. Will you take the crisis in food supply chains seriously and re-establish this forum?

We also need to see more details on the increased collaboration you are working on with the food sector. For instance, are you planning to reintroduce the measures in place last year for the food supply chain, including the suspension of competition laws for supermarkets?

A notable signatory absent from your letter is the Home Secretary, and You make clear in your letter that you will not be considering changes to visa rules for HGV drivers – despite this being a key short-term ask of the road haulage industry.

Labour agrees that it is important that we train up UK workers for good jobs in the haulage sector. However, this clearly cannot be done overnight, and there is a notable absence of immediate actions to address the driver shortage in your letter – besides dangerous changes to legal working hours.

Without quickly expanding the supply of labour available to the sector, we risk merely shifting the driver shortage from other sectors reliant on heavy vehicle drivers, such as local authority refuse collections.

Can you advise what work is being done with the Migration Advisory Committee to assess the extent of the skills shortage in this sector and how this can be recognised in the immigration points system?

UK industries have had an exceptionally tough year and a half, due to chaos and red tape at our borders since the end of the European Union transition period, followed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, with a driver shortage already threatening supplies, combined with rising numbers having to self-isolate due to the Government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear we need urgent action to shore up UK supply chains.

The measures you have set out in this letter are simply not enough to address the scale of this crisis in the immediate future, or to restore the UK’s reputation as an attractive trading hub after Government mistakes of the past year.

Labour is clear that we would take the necessary steps to deal with the driving test backlog, invest in upskilling UK workers and focus on short-term solutions to address immediate driver shortages. Crucially, we would do this all without compromising driver safety and road safety.

Yours sincerely,

Kerry McCarthy MP

Shadow Minister for Roads and Future Transport

Jim McMahon MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Luke Pollard MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP

Shadow Home Secretary

Jonathan Reynolds MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions