Member News – 02 September 2026

02 September 2026

In this issue:

• Prime Minister sets out growth priorities and recognises pressures facing logistics businesses.
• Summary of responses published to government call for evidence on net zero ports.
• DVSA introduces video evidence for dangerous defects at annual test.
• Northern Ireland Assembly Infrastructure Committee’s call for evidence on the Harbours Bill.

Policy updates

Prime Minister sets out growth priorities and recognises pressures facing logistics businesses

Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out the government’s priorities on 1 September in his first statement to the House of Commons since taking office, focusing on devolution, economic growth, reindustrialisation, and stronger public control of essential services. He committed to building a “pro-business culture and an innovation-led economy” across the UK through local industrial strategies, greater regional control over investment and closer collaboration between business, government and academia.

The Prime Minister also recognised pressures affecting the cost of doing business, including high energy prices and the delays and costs businesses face when securing grid connections. In questions following the statement, Rachel Taylor MP highlighted that more than one in five people in North Warwickshire and Bedworth are employed in logistics and asked what steps the government will take to improve the operating environment for logistics businesses, recognising that rising business costs can feed through to consumer prices and increase cost-of-living pressures.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that business costs remain too high and committed to engaging with logistics businesses. Logistics UK has welcomed this commitment and will continue making the case for measures that reduce operating costs, improve infrastructure and support investment and growth across the sector.

Summary of responses published to government call for evidence on net zero ports

Last week (28 August), the government published a summary of responses to the call for evidence on challenges and opportunities around net zero ports, which closed in June 2025. Logistics UK responded to the consultation, highlighting that ports are unable to obtain timely and cost-effective grid upgrades necessary and that ports do not operate in a transport silo calling for the decarbonisation of the sector to take a multi modal approach. The full response can be viewed here.

The summary of responses outlines government’s next steps on the role of ports in maritime decarbonisation, including:

• Removing barriers to ports securing the energy they require, including highlighting ports’ energy needs in wider government action on strategic energy planning and connection reforms.
• Working with industry to understand ports’ ability to deliver, or enable third parties to deliver, the infrastructure required for maritime decarbonisation.

These ambitions will be built on in the government’s forthcoming Maritime Growth Strategy.

Alongside the strategy, government is seeking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at berth through a UK maritime fuel regulation, which will be included in the government’s forthcoming consultation on UK maritime fuel regulations.

DVSA introduces video evidence for dangerous defects at annual test

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has introduced a new method of recording dangerous defects identified during HGV and public service vehicle (PSV) annual tests.

Vehicle examiners can now capture up to 10 seconds of video footage in cases where a dangerous defect cannot be clearly evidenced through a photograph. The change builds on the existing use of photographs within DVSA’s Vehicle Testing App (VTA).

The footage will be recorded using the app and stored securely alongside the vehicle’s test record. Access will be restricted to DVSA examiners, and the footage will only be retained for the duration of the retest period.

According to DVSA, the additional evidence will help resolve disputes and appeals more efficiently by providing a clearer record of serious defects where still images alone may be insufficient. The change forms part of the agency’s wider programme of digital improvements to the annual testing service.

Northern Ireland Assembly Infrastructure Committee’s call for evidence on the Harbours Bill

Logistics UK has responded to the Northern Ireland Assembly Infrastructure Committee’s call for evidence on the Harbours Bill, supporting proposals to modernise the governance framework for Northern Ireland’s Trust Ports. Logistics UK welcomed measures that would give ports greater operational flexibility, commercial agility and autonomy, helping them to attract investment, support trade growth and remain competitive with ports elsewhere in the UK. The response also backed the introduction of a statutory harbour directions regime, while emphasising the importance of consultation with port users and ensuring the legislation remains flexible enough to accommodate future developments in trade, technology and decarbonisation.

Quick briefs

ZEV Mandate review team speaking at our next Logistics UK Decarbonisation Working Group

At the next Logistics UK Decarbonisation Working Group meeting (23 September, 09:30-11:30), members will have the opportunity to hear directly from the Department for Transport’s ZEV Mandate review team. They will provide an update on the review and answer questions from attendees.

This is a valuable opportunity to gain the latest insights and engage directly with policymakers on an issue that will shape the future of road transport decarbonisation and may be of particular interest to van operators. The ZEV Mandate review is ongoing and open for comment until the end of October.

All Logistics UK members are welcome to attend this meeting. Members who are not currently part of the Decarbonisation Working Group, are welcome to join this session as guests. To register your interest, please contact the working group secretary, Stephanie Haszczyn.

National vehicle Crime Intelligence Unit (NaVCIS) Freight – Q2 freight crime report

The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) has published its Q2 2026 freight crime report, which can be viewed here.

Support and advice

Bonus schemes

Q. Our drivers are on a bonus scheme. They receive additional payment for every delivery they make over 10 drops per day. They operate under the GB domestic drivers’ hours rules. Is this arrangement permitted?

A. GB domestic drivers’ hours rules do not expressly ban bonus or incentive schemes that encourage drivers to breach the rules, unlike the assimilated rules. However, employers remain responsible for ensuring compliance with drivers’ hours limits and road safety obligations and must not cause, permit or pressure drivers to break the law. Employers found to be doing so could be liable for a Level 4 fine.

Fire extinguisher prohibition

Q. We had a vehicle carrying UN1263 PAINT that was stopped and issued with a prohibition because there were issues with two of the fire extinguishers. One extinguisher was showing low pressure and the other had no evidence of inspection. Was the prohibition justified?

A. Yes. Both defects affect the serviceability and compliance of the vehicle’s fire extinguishers and are among the most common faults identified during roadside enforcement checks. Both issues could have been identified during daily checks carried out by the driver.

Logistics UK has produced a helpful fact sheet on fire extinguisher checks and compliance, which can be found here.

Average EU and UK forecourt prices

Please find the average EU and UK forecourt prices here.