After signing a petition for better representation of British drivers locked up in foreign prisons I today received this notification.
pm.gov.uk/output/Page15088.asp
Pretty bland to say the least.
Comments anyone?
The Government:
The UK Government is unable to provide any statistics on truck drivers imprisoned in France on drug smuggling offences since 1995. Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Consular Network in France keeps files on all British nationals that are detained in France, these only cover the past five years. In addition, we do not record information centrally on the circumstances surrounding each British national that has been detained in France (including, in this case, the contents and the origins of the consignments that resulted in truck drivers being detained).We are also unable to comment on the checks carried out by other Governments on individuals and companies involved with road haulage across borders.
The Government works regularly with the Road Haulage Association on a wide range of issues relating to transit through European ports. If a British national is arrested or held in custody or prison in a country overseas, the authorities in that country should ask them whether they want them to contact the British Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate, especially if they are charged with a serious offence.
Looks like a typical response, pass the buck onto the transport associations who are obviously not raising the issue enough.
I signed and thus received it too. Seems to me though that the original petition was too wide ranging, not specific enough. It would have been better to have cut to the chase in asking the government (via consular staff) to be more proactive in cases where there is obvious discrimination between the treatment of lorry drivers as compared to postman, pilots or ships’ captains.
IMO the detail asked was more than likely not available and gave the gov a get out excuse.
I ,too, have just received the reply above. All I can say is that if this is how this government responds to these petitions they shouldn’t be surprised when they don’t get re-elected! What a pathetic response to this heartfelt petition. They surely have the means in their power to bring pressure to bear on those who could change things, to stop the drivers being the easy scapegoat for the authorities when drugs are secreted in pallets of goods in groupage. I wonder if airline pilots are held responsible when drugs are found concealed in air freight which they have just brought into the country, I think not. How is that any different to the subject of the petition?
dont think it matters what you do here,after seeing what the govt.has done or not done for the uk driver over the 34yrs i was a driver im no longer surprised at anything.Look what they have done over smuggled immigrants,washed their hands and passed the buck,at the same time adding a £2000 each fine on the driver.It was not till 23yrs had elapsed and i started to do the eu that i began to be treated as a human being instead as a dog on a lead.This govt should be ashamed at how it has and still is treating the truck drivers of this country who we all know are the lifeline,without which this country would be well and truely knackered in a very short time.
I had the same reply posted to me, and, what a load of rubbish it was. For many many years now I have been asking questions and fighting to get drivers out of various prisons abroad and to be honest, our governments have never taken an interest in drivers held. Some years ago we did a protest in Whitehall to make aware of the facts. I have in my possession a letter from Neil Kinnock who was transport commissioner in europe at the time stating that drivers were not, repeat not being held for illegal substances on their cargo. Now where was he coming from as at that time we had over 200 men held in France, Turkey, Bulgaria , Spain and Morocco. Its the same old story, who ever is in power in this country they are just not interested, I often wonder why we have a foreign office because I really do not know how they can say they help when we get such negative responses from them constantly. Many families of drivers held can relate stories of how the foreign office have not helped them and left them and the driver out on a limb to go it alone. The only real help families can realy get is often from their euro mp , but, only if he or she is au-fait with haulage and the problems we face when doing international work