Monday 1 February 2010
Safety Belts: Young People
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2010, Official Report, column 326W, on driving: young people, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research to which the answer referred; and if he will make a statement. [314029]
Paul Clark: The research referred to is Road Safety Research Report 98 “Strapping Yarns: Why People Do And Do Not Wear Seat Belts” published in November 2008. The report is available on the Department for Transport’s website at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/reportno98.pdf
a copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Driving: Licensing
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what category of driving licence will be needed to drive a steam engine or steam lorry on the public highway when EU Directive 2006/126/EC comes into force in 2013. [314829]
Paul Clark: The new Directive will come into force on 19 January 2013. Those drivers who already hold a full car licence (category B) on that date will retain the right to drive a steam engine or steam lorry.
Drivers who pass a motor car test after that date will need to pass a further test in either a category c vehicle (over 3.5 tonnes) or category G (road roller) before they can drive a steam engine or steam lorry.
The Department for Transport is currently in discussion with the Commission about the possibility of an exemption from the requirement being offered to additional groups of drivers.
Driving Offences
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010 to question 312817, what the average fine given to a person convicted of driving without insurance was in each justice administrative area in 2008. [314785]
Claire Ward: Pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010, Official Report, columns 860-62W, the number of average fines imposed at all courts in England and Wales in 2008 for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, by police force area, is given in the following table.
Driving Offences: Suffolk
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) convictions, (b) cautions and (c) fixed penalty notices have been given to people arrested for speeding offences on (i) the A143 and (ii) the A14 in Suffolk in each year since 1997. [314867]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Information held by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice on motoring convictions, cautions and fines do not include information on the specific road where the speeding took place.
Chorley
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information as closely related to Chorley constituency as possible, the effect on that constituency of the policies of his Department and its predecessors since 1997. [314237]
Mr. Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from the Department for Transport for transport investment in Lancashire, within which transport authority Chorley falls, has risen more than threefold over the last decade.
Investment in Lancashire county council’s local transport plan has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2004 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 18 per cent. and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 5 per cent. In 2005, Lancashire county council submitted a successful bid to the Department for ‘Kickstart’ revenue funding of the ‘Chorley Connect’ bus network. The £800,000 award facilitated the implementation of a fully accessible integrated network of routes in partnership with Stagecoach North West, including new evening and Sunday services.
Additionally, several major transport projects have been successfully delivered within the Chorley constituency since 1997. The £3 million Chorley Interchange was completed in March 2003, providing significantly improved connections between bus and rail services in the town. In November 2007, the £8 million Eaves Green Link Road was opened, completing the southern and western bypass of Chorley. The new road has improved access to local services by public transport and will facilitate further economic development in the area. The project has also won a number of awards for its innovative approach to minimising the environmental impact of the development.
It was announced in August 2009 that Lancashire county council had been allocated £3 million from the Community Infrastructure Fund to support the construction of a new railway station serving the Buckshaw Village development, to the north of Chorley. The new station will play a key role in supporting the sustainable development of the Central Lancashire Growth Point and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Slough
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Slough constituency, the effects on Slough of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 2000. [311980]
Mr. Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from the Department for Transport for Slough’s transport investment has risen sevenfold over the last decade.
Investment in Slough borough council’s Local Transport Plan has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2001 and 2007, the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 34 per cent., and bus patronage per head of population increased by 20 per cent. in the period 2004-08.
Slough borough council has worked closely with the Highways Agency to introduce ramp metering on the M4 around Slough. The project has contributed to reduced traffic flows on the motorway at peak times and provided road users with greater journey time reliability. Ramp metering is also contributing to the M4 Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Action Plan.
A Quality Bus Partnership has been signed with First Berkshire which has brought about significant investment by both the borough council and the bus operator. Enhanced services have been provided to the major employment sites at Heathrow and the Slough Trading Estate as part of the council’s accessibility and economic development strategies and upgraded bus stops and shelters have been installed along the A4 London Road.
In June 2009, Slough borough council’s Planning Committee approved the master plan for the £450 million ‘Heart of Slough’ project, which will lead to the regeneration of a 29-acre site in the town centre. The project is to be delivered by the borough council in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency and Development Securities and will deliver 1,500 new homes, 35,000 square metres of office space, a new bus station and measures to improve pedestrian flow between the High Street and the bus and rail stations. The bus station is due to be completed in early 2011 and will form a key part of the borough council’s vision for Slough as a regional transport hub.
Streatham
Keith Hill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Streatham constituency, the effects on that constituency of changes to his Department’s policies since 1997. [313392]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport (DFT) does not routinely hold transport statistics on a parliamentary constituency basis. However, the Department provides Transport for London (TfL) with a block grant to fund transport delivery in London. This grant has increased by just over 245 per cent. in the last nine years, rising to some £3.3 billion in 2010-11. Drawing on these and other resources, the Mayor is responsible for publishing, and through TfL, implementing a transport strategy for London, while the boroughs are required to publish local implementation plans which set out how they will contribute to the Mayor’s strategy.
The additional funding that has been made available has helped deliver 1,089 million passenger journeys on the Tube in 2008-09, the highest ever. London Underground’s scheduled service is now its largest ever, and in 2008-09 96.4 per cent. was run, the best annual result for 14 years.
Bus services in London have also improved. 2,247 million passenger journeys were made in 2008-09 and patronage grew by almost 47 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2007-08.
Concessionary travel continues to benefit elderly and disabled Londoners, and more than a million people currently hold a Freedom Pass.
South London rail routes serving Streatham have also improved. Southern have delivered a new fleet of trains, some of which operate on South London services, and the remaining rolling stock has been refurbished. Stations such as Streatham Hill and Gipsy Hill are being improved as part of the National Stations Improvement programme.
On the roads, national targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40 per cent. and reduce the number of “slight” casualties by 10 per cent. (compared to the period 1994-98) by 2010 were largely exceeded by TfL by 2004, leading to TfL setting themselves new targets of 50 per cent. and 25 per cent. respectively.
Various improvements in relation to cycling have also been realised across London. In May 2010 TfL will launch its cycle hire scheme and construction of the first two (out of 12) cycle superhighways is presently under way. One runs close to Streatham through Lambeth to the City and is anticipated to be ready this summer. TfL report that cycling now accounts for 2 per cent. of trips in London compared to 1.2 per cent. in 2000, and between 2000-01 and 2007-08 TfL’s automatic cycle counters reported an increase in cyclists of 91 per cent.
Vauxhall
Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Vauxhall constituency, the effects on the constituency of changes to his Department’s policies since 1997. [310328]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport (DfT) does not routinely hold transport statistics on a parliamentary constituency basis. However, the Department provides Transport for London (TfL) with a block grant to fund transport delivery in London. This grant has increased by just over 245 per cent. in the last nine years, rising to some £3.3 billion in 2010-11. Drawing on these and other resources, the Mayor is responsible for publishing and, through TfL, implementing a Transport Strategy for London, while the boroughs are required to publish Local Implementation Plans which set out how they will contribute to the Mayor’s strategy.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Driving Offences
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of sentence was in England and Wales in respect of convictions for motoring offences which resulted in a fatality in each of the last three years. [314675]
Claire Ward: The requested information is shown in the following table.
Driving Offences: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group were prosecuted for speeding offences were over the drink-drive limit in each of the last two years. [314011]
Claire Ward: Centrally held information does not identify, of persons prosecuted for speed limit offences, those persons who were breath-tested at the time of the offence.
To answer the question based on the number of persons prosecuted for speed limit offences who were also convicted for offences of driving after consuming alcohol would require manual intervention. It is not possible to provide an answer without incurring a disproportionate cost.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress has been made in reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured in road traffic accidents involving cars and motorcyclists over the last three years. [314503]
Paul Clark: The information requested is shown in the following table. These figures include all killed and seriously injured casualties in these accidents, not just occupants of the specified vehicles.
The Department for Transport consulted in 2009 on a new road safety strategy for the next two decades, A Safer Way: Consultation on making Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World. This consultation identified protecting motorcyclists as one of a number of key road safety challenges and proposed specific measures, as well as initiatives to tackle safety on rural roads, where motorcyclists are at particular risk. The new road safety strategy will be published following the completion of the North Review into drug and drink driving law.
The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy sets out a range of measures to improve the safety of all powered two-wheel users. It was published in February 2005 and a revised action plan was issued in June 2008. This includes THINK! publicity for powered two wheeler and other road users, improvements to rider training, a safer road environment and safer vehicles and equipment. We are currently working with stakeholders on revising the Motorcycle Strategy.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many road traffic accidents in Torbay constituency involved loss of life in each of the last five years; [314613]
(2) how many road traffic accidents there were in (a) Devon and (b) Torbay constituency in each of the last five years; how many such accidents involved (i) motorcyclists and (ii) cyclists in each such year; and how many accidents of each type resulted in loss of life in each such year. [314715]
Paul Clark: The information requested is shown in the following table:
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the accident cluster sites are in the (a) St. Edmundsbury Borough Council and (b) Mid Suffolk District Council area. [314866]
Paul Clark: There is no standard definition for an accident cluster site. The assessment of local accident cluster sites is a matter for the relevant local highway authorities.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there were involving drivers under the age of 21 years in (i) Bury St. Edmunds constituency and (ii) Suffolk in each year since 1997. [314874]
Paul Clark: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities have occurred (i) on the A14 and (ii) elsewhere in Suffolk between the hours of 8pm and 8am in each year since 1997. [314877]
Paul Clark: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents have occurred in Suffolk on each day of the week in each year since 1997. [314878]
Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the following table:
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents have occurred on the A14 in Suffolk on each day of the week in each year since 1997. [314879]
Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the following table:
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents occurred in Milton Keynes on average on each day of the week in each year since 1997. [315368]
Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the following table:
Speed Limits: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of speed cameras in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) London in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009. [314762]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport only holds information about the number of safety camera sites operating within the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales which started in 2001 and ended on 31 March 2007. There were 294 speed camera sites (including average speed cameras) operating in London in 2001 and 439 when the programme ended in 2007.
Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. Separate information for each London borough is not held by the Department, but may be held by the London Safety Camera Partnership along with details regarding the current number of sites.
Cycling
Questions asked by Lord Berkeley
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis railway stations were chosen to be Cycle Points; which organisations were consulted about the choices; and whether the Department for Transport’s cycle rail integration team is taking forward the implementation of those projects. [HL1668]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Department for Transport consulted with Network Rail on the Cycle Point concept and asked them to identify 10 suitable locations for building a Cycle Point. Stations were selected as candidates for Cycle Points based on various criteria including cycle demand, footfall, how it would complement other cycle initiatives and to ensure a fair geographical spread. Network Rail, along with the relevant train operator, is continuing to work on the implementation of these schemes.
Asked by Lord Berkeley
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the capital cost of each of the proposed Cycle Points; what is the expected customer usage; and what are the planned opening dates. [HL1669]
Lord Adonis: We have not yet reached planning stage of all 10 Cycle Points announced on 28 September and so do not know the capital cost of each proposed scheme or the projected customer usage. Leeds Cycle Point, which is the first scheme to go ahead, will be built at a cost of £660,000. This will open in May 2010. It is envisaged that all 10 Cycle Points will be open within the next two years.
Government Departments: Cars
Question asked by Lord Tebbit
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many ministerial cars are (a) more than 40 years old, (b) between 30 and 40 years old, (c) between 20 and 30 years old, (d) between 10 and 20 years old, (e) between 5 and 10 years old, and (f) less than 5 years old. [HL1539]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) provides transport for Ministers. All of the 80 cars used by GCDA for ministerial duties are less than five years old.
Thursday 4 February 2010
Railway Signals
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the financial implications for his Department of the cancellation of the European Train Control System early deployment scheme. [314279]
Chris Mole: The Cambrian Early Deployment Scheme has not been cancelled. The lessons learnt from this scheme will be vital to informing the planning of future European Rail Traffic Management System deployments.
Transport: East of England
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding the local transport authority in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk has received from his Department (i) in total, (ii) per mile of road and (iii) per head of population in each year since 1997. [314885]
Mr. Khan: Funding provided to the local transport authorities in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk to support local transport are shown in the following tables. From 2000-01 this funding comprises the integrated transport block and highways maintenance for general capital funding for transport and additional capital funding for specific major projects. Also included is funding for maintenance of roads that have been de-trunked, road safety projects, bus services and cycling and walking schemes. Prior to 2000-01 funding was provided in the form of ‘gross approved spending’.
Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s formula grant, and it is not possible to disaggregate this by service.
Funding for concessionary travel has not been included, since this is provided to the district councils in these areas, rather than the upper tier transport authorities.
Friday 5 February 2010
Driving Offences: Fines
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on the implementation of the Council Framework Decision 2005/214/JHA on the cross-border collection of fines for motoring offences. [316000]
Bridget Prentice: My officials have been in contact with officials at the European Commission, the Scottish and Northern Irish Ministries of Justice both prior to and post-implementation of this EU directive. They conducted a webcast on 9 October 2009 in conjunction with SPARKS in which a member of the EC responsible for MRFP also participated; they attended a European workshop in Stockholm on 15 October 2009 organised by the Commission; and they visited their counterparts in the Netherlands’ Central Authority (CJIB) on 4 December 2009.
