PQs 7th – 10th June

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities there have been on level crossings in the last five years. [55321]

Mrs Villiers: There have been 47 fatalities at level crossings in the last five years.

The latest data on annual level crossing fatalities can be found at:

http://www.rssb.co.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/pdf/reports/Monthly%20Summary%20of%20Safety%20Performance% 20March%202011.pdf

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) longitudinal and (b) other (i) research and (ii) collection of data his Department has (A) initiated, (B) terminated and (C) amended in the last 12 months; and what such research and data collection exercises undertaken by the Department have not been amended in that period. [56762]

Norman Baker: A list of longitudinal and non-longitudinal research and data collection that has been initiated, terminated and/or amended by the Department in the last 12 months is provided in the following table.

Research initiated, amended or terminated in past 12 months

TitleInitiated (I), amended (A), terminated (T)

Value of Prevented Fatalities and Injuries—Phase 1I

Advanced Biofuels: the potential for a UK industryI

Scenarios for the cost-effective deployment of biofuel in the UK road transport sector in 2020

I

Amendments to the UK Renewable Energy Directive Art 19(2) report on emissions from cultivation of biofuels feedstocks in the UK

I

Child media consumption researchI

Christmas 2010 THINK! road safety drink drive campaign: post-activity tracking research

I

Annual survey of attitudes to THINK! campaign, road safety and driving behaviour

I

Post campaign tracking research for the THINK! road safety ‘Tales of the road’ campaign, for Children aged 6-11I

Evaluation of the ‘Code of Everand’ road safety online game, for children aged 9-12

I

Evaluation of THINK! road safety education resources for early years and upper primary children

I

High Speed 2 Rail Omnibus Survey (Pre consultation)

I

Station usage and demand forecasting at newly-opened railway lines and stations

I

Peak spreading fares studyI

Network Modelling Framework Script DevelopmentI

Strategic Fares Model Updating 2I

Responsiveness of rail demandI

Comparing rail forecasting approachesI

Implementing the “revisiting the elasticity-based framework” studyI

Van CO2 Database Matching ProjectI

GB Van CO2 DatabaseI

Freight route choice using GPS dataI

Omnibus survey of public attitudes to bus travel I

Omnibus survey of public attitudes to climate change and travel choices

I

Marginal Abatement Cost Curve ProjectI

Market Maturity and EconometricsI

Aviation Health StudiesI

Train Operating Company Cost ModelA

Emissions ModelA

Evidence Review of the Economics of Shipping and UK PortsA

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping ServicesA

Value of Travel Time Savings (VTTS) study—Phase 1T

National Transport Model Version 4 Commissioning—Phase 4T

Validation of the NTM using ASHET

Funding of the Transport Research CentreT

Airport Development—Appraisal of Sustainability Scoping Document

T

The following list contains information on ongoing data collection exercises not amended in that period. Ongoing and completed research that has not been amended in the last 12 months is available on the Department’s Research Management Database

http://www.dft.gov.uk/rmd/

Ongoing statistics/data collection

National Travel Survey

Roadside survey of registration marks

Carriageway work done

Skidding resistance

Survey of PSV bus and coach operators

Survey of light rail operators

Survey of bus reliability

Bus fares survey

Bus and light rail punctuality survey

Concessionary fares survey

Taxi survey

Blue Badge survey

Survey of civil parking enforcement

Manual and automatic traffic counts

R199b road lengths survey

National rail travel survey

International road haulage survey

Continuing survey of road goods transport

Reported Road Casualties (STATS19)

Breath alcohol screening tests in England and Wales

Seatbelt wearing rates and mobile phone use by drivers in England

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of fatalities from reported road accidents

Passenger counts data

Continuing survey of road goods transport

International road haulage survey

CAA surveys

Domestic waterborne freight survey

Roll-on/roll-off goods vehicles survey

Sea passenger survey

Maritime Statistics Data System

Port employment and accident rates survey 2009-10

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on delivering the second round of funding to successful bidders to the Plugged-In Places pilot scheme for electric vehicles. [56028]

Norman Baker: We announced five successful second round Plugged-In Places pilot schemes in December 2010, for Northern Ireland, Central Scotland, Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the East of England. These projects will be receiving match funding to install recharging infrastructure throughout financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13. The new projects are testing a diverse range of technologies and operating models and will help to inform the wider roll out of infrastructure across the country. We have been working closely with the new projects to ensure they learn from the experiences of first round projects. They will move from detailed planning to implementation throughout the coming year, with the East of England project the first to have installed charge points so far.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has calculated the potential change in revenue for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency which would arise from reducing the number of MoT tests a new vehicle would need to a test after four years and every two years thereafter. [56034]

Mike Penning: A small amount of the MOT test fee goes to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to cover its costs in administering the scheme. A review of the MOT scheme will consider the impacts to Vehicle and Operator Services Agency revenue of any changes to test frequency.

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average speed of passenger rail services was in each year since 1990. [57550]

Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. However, as an exercise, we have estimated the average timetabled speed of passenger trains on the British network to be 45 miles per hour (excluding station dwell times) based on the December 2008 weekday timetable.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) rail companies on who is responsible for clearing snow and ice from areas around railway stations, depots and maintenance and operational facilities. [56021]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not provided guidance to either local authorities or railway operators on who is responsible for clearing snow and ice from areas around railway stations, depots and other rail facilities.

One of the recommendations from the Winter Resilience Review Final Report, published in October 2010, was that Network Rail and individual rail companies should make regular contact with local authorities during the winter planning process and season to ensure that the clearance of snow and ice is treated in a co-ordinated way across their respective boundaries.

We encourage all parties concerned to take forward this recommendation as part of their preparations for next winter.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met (a) Network Rail and (b) representatives of train operating companies to discuss the implications of the Independent Review of Winter Resilience. [56022]

Mrs Villiers: I regularly meet Network Rail, representatives of train operators and other key industry bodies to discuss performance issues on the network, including the independent review of winter resilience, and progress made on the recommendations it contained. Further discussions will be held throughout the year in preparation for next winter.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has taken steps to (a) monitor and (b) advise rail operators on the allocation of small quantities of salt to treat (i) platforms, (ii) depots, (iii) signal boxes and (iv) car parks during severe weather conditions. [56119]

Mrs Villiers: The safe and effective operation of rail services during conditions of snow and ice is an operational matter for Network Rail and train operating companies.

The procurement and allocation of materials to address such conditions is under the control of these companies.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) he and (b) his ministerial colleagues have visited any accident and emergency departments of NHS hospitals to discuss with staff levels of medical attention required to deal with casualties arising from road crashes involving drivers (i) exceeding speed limits and (ii) driving under the influence of alcohol since May 2010. [53781]

Mike Penning: Neither I nor other Transport Ministers have visited accident and emergency departments since May 2010 to discuss specifically the levels of medical attention associated with road casualties arising from speeding and drink driving.

The Government plan to take further action on drink driving as set out in its response to the North review about drink and drug driving, which has been published on the Department for Transport website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drivinglaws/govtresponse/

Our approach to road safety more generally, including speeding, has been set out in a strategic framework for road safety, published on 11 May on the Department for Transport website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/strategicframework/

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what year his Department first established targets for reductions in the numbers killed or seriously injured on roads. [55813]

Mike Penning: In 1987 the then Department of Transport set out the first road safety casualty target in the strategy document “Road Safety: The Next Steps” which was to reduce the numbers of killed and seriously injured on our roads by one-third by 2000.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether his Department has made an estimate of the change in annual road fatalities that would arise from reducing the number of MoT tests a new vehicle would require to a test after four years and every two years thereafter; [56033]

(2) whether he has carried out an impact assessment on his proposals to reduce the number of tests required under the MoT testing regime. [56043]

Mike Penning: The Department has recently commissioned independent research to examine how vehicle defects affect accident rates, and to consider the potential road safety impact of changing the frequency of the MOT. The ‘Effect of Vehicle Defects in Road Accidents’ report can be found at:

http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/trl_reports/cat_road_user_safety/report_effect_of_vehicle_defects_in_road_accidents.htm

This research will be a useful addition to other information we will be gathering through the review process, including on the impacts on garages and MOT stations.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of a driver (a) being uninsured, (b) driving a vehicle without a valid MoT and (c) both on the propensity of that driver to be involved in an accident that involves (i) death and (ii) serious injury. [57114]

Mike Penning: No assessment has been made.

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents have been reported on the M1 between junctions 20 and 21 in each of the last 15 months. [57530]

Mike Penning: Accidents are recorded using police data and include all collisions where injuries are reported. Validated data are only available up to December 2009. Therefore there are no validated data for the requested period.

The following shows the validated data for the M1 between junctions 20 and 21 (main line carriageway only) for 2009.

2009

Fatal0

Serious2

Slight23

Damage0

Total25

Mr Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for the time taken to complete the one-year post-opening project evaluation of the A595 Parton to Lillyhall improvement scheme; when he expects the evaluation to be (a) undertaken and (b) completed; and what plans he has to publish the results of the evaluation. [57657]

Mike Penning: This scheme was in an area affected by severe flooding in November 2009, which had a long lasting impact on traffic patterns due to the collapse and closure of a number of bridges. A review undertaken in September 2010, recommended that a one-year after Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) study should not be undertaken. However, the need for post-opening evaluation will be reassessed in 2012 when consideration will be given as to whether a ‘three-year after’ evaluation would be worth undertaking, or to wait until the scheduled five-years after study.

All POPE reports are published on the Highways Agency website, and are available via:

www.highways.gov.uk/evaluation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has taken steps to commission research on methods of reducing the volume of salt utilised for clearing ice from roads. [56037]

Norman Baker [holding answer 17 May 2011]: The Department for Transport has worked with the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG) and published guidance on the range of actions that can be taken in order to reduce the volume of salt required for preventing snow and ice forming on roads. This guidance is available on the following website:

http://www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org/pdfs/Winter%20Service%20for%20Local%20Authority%20 Practitioners%20v7.pdf

In addition, on 24 December 2010, the Department for Transport issued simplified spread rate guidance to local highway authority practitioners titled ‘Winter Service Guidance for Local Authority Practitioners—Recommended Precautionary Treatments and Post Treatments Including Revised Salt Spread Rates’. This guidance is available on the following website link:

http://www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org/pdfs/DfT%20Simplified%20Guidance%20for%20Local%20 Authority%20Practitioners.pdf

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance his Department has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) the Highways Agency on preparations for the clearance of trunk and local roads providing access to airports during times of severe weather conditions. [56117]

Norman Baker: For those access roads to airports which are the responsibility of the relevant local highway authority, such authorities have a duty under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 “to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice”.

However, the Department for Transport encourages local authorities to have a robust winter service plan in place and expects authorities to communicate on a regular basis with the local community, including businesses and other key stakeholders within their respective areas, including airport operators.

With respect to the strategic road network, every year the Highways Agency produces detailed winter service plans setting out all aspects of the winter service to be delivered across its network during the forthcoming winter season, to keep the network safe and available for use through severe weather conditions. These winter service plans, which build on lessons learned from the previous winter season, are shared with key stakeholders and, together with more direct consultation, help to ensure that access to critical national infrastructure such as airports is maintained.

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department’s speed limit review. [43289]

Mike Penning: The review of speed limits was established by the previous administration. Coalition Ministers are currently considering their own approach to speed limits policy.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether his Department has concluded collecting information on 20 mph speed limit zones from local authorities; and when he plans to publish any conclusions arising from that exercise; [57455]

(2) when he plans to publish information from local authorities on the effects of the introduction of 20 mph speed limit zones. [57457]

Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has funded a review of the area-wide 20 mph speed limit scheme implemented in Portsmouth. A report assessing the impact of the scheme was published in October 2010.

The Department has no plans to collect further information on 20 mph schemes.

In our Strategic Framework for Road Safety, published on 11 May, the Department undertook to provide local authorities with an economic tool to help them assess the full costs and benefits of any proposed scheme. This will be available in the coming year.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has plans to make the data generated by real time information equipment supported by Bus Service Operators Grant available to (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and

(b) the Traffic Commissioners for the purposes of overseeing service performance. [58015]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an initial information gathering exercise by contacting bus operators claiming the Bus Service Operators Grant Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) incentive to determine what data are available and in what format.

The Department has not yet requested data generated by the Bus Service Operators Grant AVL incentive and will produce a note of why it needs any data requested after this initial information gathering stage and will set out in writing how these data will be collected, used and protected.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officers the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency made available for monitoring the performance of bus services in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. [58016]

Mike Penning: The figures as at the end of April 2011 are as follows:

 Number

Scotland4

North East/North West3

West Midlands1

Wales3

Western1

South East1

Eastern1

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) buses and (b) coaches were subject to prohibition notices as a result of (i) announced and (ii) unannounced checks by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the last five years. [58017]

Mike Penning: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not record PSV prohibition figures based on announced and unannounced encounters. There is also no split of the information between buses and coaches. However the following information for all PSVs is held:

Percentage

 Fleet checks at operators premisesRoadside Checks

2010-1115.319.2

2009-1014.823.4

2008-0913.220.4

2007-0815.019.9

2006-0714.417.0

Note: Some fleet checks at operators’ premises will be announced but it is not possible to determine the proportion.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when guidance for local authorities on the introduction of (a) school, (b) pedestrian and (c) light-controlled pedestrian crossings was last published; and whether he has any plans to publish revised guidance. [57456]

Norman Baker: Guidance on school crossing patrols is published by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). The School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines were last updated in 2010 and are reviewed annually.

The Department published guidance on the introduction of pedestrian crossings in 1995 in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/95: The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings, and LTN 2/95: The Design of Pedestrian Crossings.

Detailed guidance on puffin crossings was published in 2006 in the Puffin Good Practice Guide. These may be revised in the future as a result of the Traffic Signs Policy Review.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of his response to the European Commission on the EU White Paper on Transport. [58018]

Mrs Villiers: The European Commission has not requested a response on the EU Transport White Paper. There will be a debate on the White Paper at the June Transport Council. I will report on the outcome of that Council to Parliament.

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has carried out research into the productivity of business passengers while travelling by rail. [55447]

Mrs Villiers [holding answer 13 May 2011]: The Department for Transport commissioned a consortium led by Mott MacDonald to undertake a study of rail business travellers in order to obtain direct evidence on the productive use of travel time during the course of work. The final report “Productive Use of Rail Travel Time and the Valuation of Travel Time Savings for Rail Business Travellers” was received by the Department in June 2009.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons no organisation representing cyclists was included among the experts championing the Red Tape Challenge on Road Transport; and if he will nominate such an expert as soon as possible. [58548]

Mike Penning: There are relatively few regulations governing the use of cycling—only five out of over 400 in the whole of this section of the red tape challenge.

However, we are still interested to hear what cyclists have to say about those five—and we have recently met with representatives of British Cycling, CTC and the Bicycle Association of Great Britain to discuss the red tape challenge. We are working with everyone across the whole road transport sector, as we want to ensure as many people as possible get involved.

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the safety of high-intensity discharge lighting on vehicles. [58742]

Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has commissioned one report on high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting on vehicles and one report on headlamp glare which included HID lamps.

The first report, completed in 1994, was used to inform the UK negotiating position on the draft European Regulation on HID lighting. The second report, completed in 2001, investigated headlamp glare and driver vision and reviewed existing headlamp requirements including HID lamps.

The titles of the reports are:

TRL report number: PR/SRC/11/94, Gas Discharge Headlights by J Cobb and Wendy Gibbons.

Vehicle Lighting: Headlamp glare and driver vision by Andrew Shearlaw and Dean Southall (placed in House Library in 2004)

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for road safety campaigns in schools in 2011-12. [52303]

Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has no plans for road safety campaigns in schools. A wealth of road safety material is available from other governmental, and non-governmental, organisations.

The Department for Transport’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety is under development and is planned to be published in the near future. The Department for Transport (DFT) has issued THINK! Education, a comprehensive set of free online road safety teaching resources that cover ages 4-16, available to all schools, to ensure that they have good quality materials that they will want to teach. It includes materials for teachers, pupils and parents and can also be used by out of school groups. It covers all aspects of road safety, from car seats for young children to pre-driver attitudes for secondary schools. It is available at

www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/

and

www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/secondary

Resources for road safety education, supplied with support from the DFT, and complementary to the DFT material, are also available from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) at

http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/resources/teachers/

RoSPA, the DFT and local road safety practitioners have worked together to produce a website,

www.roadsafetyevaluation.com

and an online toolkit called “E-valu-it” to help practitioners to evaluate road safety education, training and publicity interventions; to help ensure that limited resources are used to the best effect; and to share lessons about what education interventions work best, why and how. Directgov also carries road safety advice at

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/AdvancedSearch/Searchresults/index.htm?fullText=road+safety