Ms Coutinho lobbied the government for an expensive distance-based road toll as part of a campaign to curb lorry movements in her east Surrey constituency, it has emerged.
Before the meeting, she is said to have launched a survey, held a public meeting, had meetings with the local council and held a roundtable with HGV operators in a bid to give traffic authorities greater powers to curb HGV activity in her constituency. In a recent Department for Transport consultation on a reformed UK HGV levy, the government did not commit to the distance-based levy - but it was not ruled out either.
HGVs transport 98 per cent of all the UK’s food and agricultural products and, according to Logistics UK, the HGV driver shortage currently stands at 60,000 drivers.
A source close to Claire Coutinho told LBC: “Claire conducted a survey to get views from her constituents about a large amount of local HGV licenses. She was acting in her capacity as constituency MP to represent the views of the people of East Surrey who were particularly concerned on the effect on roads.
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