British Transport Police
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) full-time equivalent police officers, (b) full-time equivalent police community support officers and (c) other staff there were working for the British Transport Police in (i) total, (ii) each region and (iii) each constituent part of the UK in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13 to date; and if he will make a statement. [139433]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is set out in the following tables:
| Staff numbers—British Transport police | ||||
| 2012-13 (at 23 January 2013) | ||||
| Police officers | Police staff | PCSOs | Special constables | |
|
Force Headquarters |
356 |
777 |
0 |
4 |
|
London North |
438 |
102 |
99 |
34 |
|
London South |
399 |
92 |
43 |
42 |
|
London Underground/DLR |
673 |
211 |
104 |
47 |
|
North Eastern |
271 |
74 |
16 |
33 |
|
North Western |
258 |
63 |
28 |
21 |
|
Scotland |
219 |
51 |
0 |
17 |
|
Wales and Western |
252 |
70 |
63 |
30 |
|
Total |
2,866 |
1,440 |
353 |
228 |
| 2011-12 (at 31 March 2012) | ||||
| Police officers | Police staff | PCSOs | Special constables | |
|
Force Headquarters |
333 |
758 |
0 |
4 |
|
London North |
454 |
96 |
103 |
38 |
|
London South |
404 |
87 |
51 |
58 |
|
London Underground/DLR |
675 |
212 |
74 |
60 |
|
North Eastern |
272 |
72 |
20 |
32 |
|
North Western |
256 |
64 |
32 |
24 |
|
Scotland |
218 |
45 |
0 |
13 |
|
Wales and Western |
253 |
68 |
48 |
22 |
|
Total |
2,865 |
1,402 |
328 |
251 |
| 2010-11 (at 31 March 2011) | ||||
| Police officers | Police staff | PCSOs | Special constables | |
|
Force Headquarters |
355 |
779 |
0 |
2 |
|
London North |
456 |
104 |
106 |
29 |
|
London South |
413 |
93 |
48 |
64 |
|
London Underground/DLR |
667 |
204 |
47 |
70 |
|
North Eastern |
253 |
70 |
21 |
26 |
|
North Western |
262 |
53 |
36 |
10 |
|
Scotland |
208 |
35 |
0 |
6 |
|
Wales and Western |
252 |
67 |
40 |
26 |
|
Total |
2,866 |
1,405 |
298 |
233 |
Driving: Licensing
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of drivers in the UK currently hold Group 2 driving licences. [139814]
Stephen Hammond: On 18 January 2013 there were 44,807,737 driver records in Great Britain. The total number of drivers holding a group 2 (bus and/or lorry) driving licence is 1,380,796. Of these, 1,126,652 hold full entitlement and 254,144 hold provisional entitlement. The overall proportion of drivers in the UK holding a group 2 driving licence is 3.1%.
Information from Northern Ireland has not been included in this answer as driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 409W, on driver licensing, what information is kept on the age of the drivers whose licences were revoked for failing to meet the eyesight standards. [139995]
Stephen Hammond: The following table provides the age-ranges of drivers who had their driving licence refused or revoked because they could not meet the eyesight standards. This table reflects the age of the driver at the time of the refusal or revocation.
| Drivers refused and revoked for failing to meet eyesight standards | ||
| Age | 2010 | 2011 |
|
17-19 |
139 |
194 |
|
20-29 |
483 |
407 |
|
30-39 |
343 |
378 |
|
40-49 |
469 |
522 |
|
50-59 |
552 |
610 |
|
60-69 |
624 |
667 |
|
70-79 |
1,335 |
1,582 |
|
80-89 |
1,266 |
1,336 |
|
90-99 |
188 |
219 |
|
100 and over |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
5,399 |
5,916 |
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 409W, on driver licensing, what proportion of overall licences held were revoked or refused because the applicant failed to meet the eyesight standards for (a) Group 1 licences and (b) Group 2 licences. [139996]
Stephen Hammond: The following table provides statistical information on the overall numbers and proportion of driving licences held in Great Britain that were revoked or the application refused because the applicant failed to meet the eyesight standards for group 1 and 2 licences.
| Group 1 revoked or refused | Group 2 revoked or refused | ||||
| Total number of driver records in GB | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
|
2010 |
44,547,489 |
4,906 |
0.011 |
493 |
0.001 |
|
2011 |
45,127,884 |
5,258 |
0.012 |
658 |
0.001 |
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 409W, on driver licensing, how many of the car and motorcycle licences revoked or refused because the applicant failed to meet the eyesight standards were (a) self-reported by the driver, (b) referred by a medical practitioner and (c) refused at the initial practical driving test stage. [139997]
Stephen Hammond: Information on how many revocations or refusals were as a result of a driver self reporting or referrals from medical practitioners is not held. In 2010, 501 licences were refused at the initial practical driving test stage. In 2011, the figure was 635.
Large Goods Vehicles
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) with reference to the research study by Huddersfield university on the use of heavier, longer HGVs on UK roads, published in November 2012, whether his Department will be producing a reviewed impact assessment on the use of such vehicles; [139331]
(2) what discussions officials from his Department have had with the authors of the Huddersfield university research study on the use of heavier, longer HGVs on UK roads, published in November 2012. [139332]
Stephen Hammond: The Department responded on 22 November 2012 to the letter of 7 November 2012 from David Leach, the lead author of the report. This set out the Department’s position, including that it has already undertaken thorough research, a feasibility study and an impact assessment.
The preferred 25.25m option of the Huddersfield report was ruled out in the research done by TRL for the Department. The TRL analysis was that these longer lorries would require a large capital investment, for example to adapt parking areas; result in increased CO2 emissions, mainly due to an expected shift from rail to road; and also have safety and infrastructure risks such as related to overtaking and junction blocking.
The research showed that the 18.75m/44 tonne option was likely to give the greatest net benefit. They indicated there would be few, if any, additional safety risks or need to adapt parking facilities, a lower risk of mode shift from rail to road and less need for investment and regulatory changes.
Therefore the trial of longer semi-trailers is based on the 18.75m/44 tonne lorries, and a shorter variant. The trial will validate whether the expected benefits of these longer trailers are realised.
The Huddersfield report quotes as one of its main sources the TRL report, which was also the basis of our own analysis and impact assessment. The Department will therefore not be producing a reviewed impact assessment in the light of the research study by Huddersfield university.
Motorcycles: Driving Tests
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in formulating its proposals for an integrated motorcycle driving test, his Department has given consideration to the issue of Driver Standards Agency driving examiner liability in the event of an on-road manoeuvre causing a road traffic accident; and if he will make a statement. [140313]
Stephen Hammond: Yes. In deciding whether to implement an on-road test, the Department will take into consideration legal issues relating to driving examiners.
The Department has not yet formulated any firm proposals for making changes to the motorcycle test. A final decision on whether or not to take forward any changes will be taken after the research has concluded and the findings have been fully considered.
There will be a full public consultation on any proposals for changing the motorcycle test.
Roads: Accidents
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured was on roads where average speed reduction cameras were deployed between 2008 and 2010. [139600]
Stephen Hammond: This information is not centrally held by the Department for Transport.
The Department commissioned PA Consulting to carry out an evaluation of the effectiveness of safety cameras between 2000 and 2004. The latest evaluation report is available at
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/road-safety-guidance-/4_year_evaluation.pdf
However, this evaluation did not specifically address average speed reduction cameras.
Since the 2004 report, evaluation of safety cameras has been for the individual Safety Camera Partnerships, local authorities and police forces which operate the cameras. All data for safety cameras, including cameras operated by the Highways Agency, are made available on partnership websites.
Further information on safety cameras, Safety Camera Partnerships and evaluations can be found in the House of Common’s Library briefing note: “Roads: speed cameras” SN/BT/350 which is available at:
http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN00350
A14: Accidents
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average reduction was in the number of people killed or seriously injured in the 12 months after average speed cameras were sited on the A14 between Girton and Fen Ditton; and whether he has calculated any nominal monetary value which could be attributed to any such reductions. [140093]
Stephen Hammond: In the 12 months before the safety camera scheme was installed, there were one fatal, one serious and nine slight personal injury collisions confirmed on the A14 between Girton and Fen Ditton. For the 12 months following completion of the scheme, there have been one serious and four slight personal injury collisions confirmed.
The benefits of a scheme are normally evaluated over a three-year period and it is too early to state that the reductions in the number of accidents on this section of the A14 have been wholly due to the safety camera scheme. However, using the Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance on appraising transport interventions, the reduction in casualties currently represent an estimated nominal monetary value of £1.99 million saved.
Roads: Horses
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of incidents with ponies and horses on roads (a) across the Vale of Glamorgan and (b) in the UK; and what information he has on any incidents involving horses that have occurred in each of the last five years in the (i) Vale of Glamorgan and (ii) UK. [138940]
Stephen Hammond: The Department collects information relating to reported personal injury accidents involving a ridden horse. Accidents including a vehicle and an unridden horse where there is a casualty are recorded as a vehicle hitting an animal. However, as the record will not specify that the animal is a horse in this case, it is not possible to identify the number of accidents involving an unridden horse. The information held does not include damage only accidents, or accidents resulting in injury to a ridden horse only.
The Department only holds information relating to Great Britain.
In each of the last five years in the Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency there were no accidents involving ridden horses. In Great Britain in each of the last five years, there were the following numbers of accidents involving at least one ridden horse:
| Accidents involving a ridden horse | |
|
2007 |
133 |
|
2008 |
109 |
|
2009 |
102 |
|
2010 |
126 |
|
2011 |
135 |
The resulting casualties from these accidents were as follows:
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
|
Total casualties |
159 |
139 |
114 |
156 |
163 |
|
Of which: |
|||||
|
Horse riders |
127 |
106 |
100 |
126 |
133 |
Statistics for the year 2012 will be available in June 2013.
