Monday 8 February 2010
Driving Offences
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms have been established to enable data sharing in respect of fixed penalty motoring offences between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Irish Garda in accordance with the principle of mutual recognition of financial penalties. [315998]
Paul Goggins: Roads Policing Policy in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Department of Environment. The sharing of data between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana in relation to motoring offences is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Driving Offences
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for (a) an offence of drink driving and (b) each other motoring offence in (i) Torbay constituency, (ii) Devon and (iii) England resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years. [314213]
Claire Ward: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts in the Devon and Cornwall police force area and England for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs and other motoring offences (by offence type) is given in Tables 1 and 2 from 1999 to 2008 (latest available). Sentences of immediate custody imposed at all courts are given in Tables 3 and 4.
Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data for Devon cannot be separately identified from within the Devon and Cornwall police force area.
Data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn 2010.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100208/text/100208w0025.htm#10020854000009
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100208/text/100208w0026.htm
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100208/text/100208w0027.htm
Driving Offences: Disqualification
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in (a) Torbay constituency, (b) the South West and (c) England were disqualified from driving as a result of an offence of (i) drink-driving, (ii) speeding and (iii) dangerous or reckless driving in each of the last 10 years. [313334]
Claire Ward: The number persons disqualified from driving as a result of convictions for (i) drink driving, (ii) speeding and (iii) dangerous or careless driving in the South West and England in each of the last 10 years shown in tables 1 and 2 as follows.
Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn 2010.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100208/text/100208w0028.htm
Tuesday 9 February 2010
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department’s policies and actions since 2000. [315299]
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 investment in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, within which transport authority Blaydon falls, has more than doubled over the last decade.
Investment in Tyne and Wear’s Joint Local Transport Plan, to which Gateshead Council is a partner authority, has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2005 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 8 per cent, and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 22 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
In 2005, the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority, Nexus, submitted a successful bid to the Department for ‘Kickstart’ revenue funding of the 639 Gateshead Orbital bus service, operated by Go North-East. The £336,256 award facilitated the doubling of the daytime and early-evening frequency of the service from hourly to half-hourly. The improved service, featuring fully accessible vehicles, has significantly improved links between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and areas of western Gateshead, including Blaydon.
The £17 million Centrelink scheme was completed in 2005, providing enhanced public transport links between Gateshead town centre and the MetroCentre. The project included the construction of an £8.4 million busway and the reorganisation of the public transport interchange in Gateshead town centre to facilitate interchange between bus and Metro services. The project has had the complementary effect of removing large numbers of buses from shopping streets, thereby reducing congestion and improving the environment for pedestrians and shoppers.
In July 2007, Gateshead council completed a £1 million upgrade to the A184 Felling bypass. The project included the widening of the road to a three-lane carriageway to provide space for a dedicated bus priority lane. The scheme has provided bus passengers with greater journey time reliability and forms part of Tyne and Wear’s ‘Superoute’ network of Quality Bus Corridors, which generated patronage growth of 14 per cent. between 2002 and 2007.
On 3 February 2010 the Department announced that it would provide around £580 million to the Tyne and Wear Metro for ongoing operating support and major infrastructure renewals to 2021.
Bridges: Accidents
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department or Transport what information his Department holds on (a) the number of bridge strikes in other EU countries where metric height and width restriction signs are required and (b) the number of such strikes involving UK lorry drivers in the last 12 months. [316208]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 8 February 2010]: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Anne Milton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what he expects the timetable to be for implementation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s draft enforcement policy. [316048]
Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s revised enforcement strategy document is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. This strategy will seek to maximise collection of vehicle excise duty at minimum cost through encouraging compliance and using proportionate enforcement action where necessary. Most of the initiatives contained in the strategy are already in place. When finalised the strategy document will also set out proposed timescales for the implementation of new initiatives.
Driver Information Systems: Bridges
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department has taken to ensure that accurate information on the (a) location and (b) height in metric and imperial measurements of low bridges is accessible to producers of satellite navigation systems. [316207]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 8 February 2010]: None. Producers of satellite navigation systems are responsible for the accuracy of information provided in their products. Moreover, the onus remains on drivers to adhere to warnings and restrictions indicated by traffic signs.
Hemsworth
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Hemsworth constituency, the effects on Hemsworth of his Department’s policies and actions since 2000. [316304]
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 investment in the Metropolitan borough of Wakefield, within which transport authority Hemsworth falls, has doubled over the last decade.
Investment in West Yorkshire’s Joint Local Transport plan, to which Wakefield council is a partner authority, has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of local authority roads requiring structural maintenance decreased by 58 per cent. and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 30 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
In December 2003, the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority, Metro, submitted a successful £18.7 million bid to the Department for funding of the ‘Mybus’ project, which provides dedicated school transport to 133 schools throughout West Yorkshire, including Hemsworth Arts and Community college. Mybus has delivered a number of benefits, including reduced congestion, air pollution and accidents around schools, improved pupil behaviour on journeys to and from school, and enhanced educational performance and attendance. More than 10,000 pupils currently use the service, 64 per cent. of which previously travelled to school by car.
The Wakefield ‘Free City Bus’ service was introduced by Metro and Wakefield council in April 2007, providing residents and visitors with a frequent and fully accessible service between the city’s rail and bus interchanges and main shopping areas. Patronage of the service has far exceeded expectations, particularly for journeys to and from the Ings Road and Westgate Retail Parks, which were previously inaccessible by public transport. The introduction of the Free City Bus has resulted in a 5 per cent. increase in the number of people living within 30 minutes travel time of Wakefield city centre by public transport.
The £24.2 million Hemsworth to A1 Link Road was completed in November 2009. The project was commissioned to promote the economic regeneration of the former coal and steel communities in the area by significantly improving their access to the strategic road network. The new section of road, between Hemsworth and the A638 at Upton, includes a link to the proposed South Kirkby Business Park.
Invalid Vehicles
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 1902W, on invalid vehicles: insurance, when the survey his Department is procuring to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people will be (a) completed and (b) published. [316099]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 5 February 2010]: Fieldwork for this survey took place during January 2010 and the Department expects to receive the survey data set during March 2010. It is likely that results will be published during the first half of the 2010-11 financial year, although a firm date has not yet been fixed.
The survey focused primarily on public attitudes to regulatory issues around mobility scooters. Although a question was asked on injuries caused by mobility scooters, it is not yet clear whether the sample size will be sufficient to allow the publication of robust estimates on this issue.
Motorways: Accidents
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent research his Department and its agencies have undertaken on the average number of patrol vehicles required to attend incidents on motorways. [309453]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency is currently undertaking operational research and development to provide a new software model to identify the optimum number of traffic officer patrols required to attend incidents on motorways. This operational research and development is due for delivery towards the end of 2010.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department and its agencies collect on the clearing of motorways following road traffic incidents. [309455]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency routinely gathers the following information regarding the clearing of motorways following road traffic incidents where the Traffic Officer Service is involved in the management of the incident:
the time the incident log is created;
the time a traffic officer arrives at the scene of an incident;
the type of incident;
the time(s) that the incident scene is transferred to direct police control;
the time(s) that the incident scene is transferred from direct police control;
the time(s) that the carriageway is adversely affected by an incident, if the arrival of a traffic officer resource at the scene occurs before the time(s) that the carriageway became adversely affected;
the time that the carriageway is reopened by the Traffic Officer Service.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what data his Department and its agencies collect on the average time taken to reopen a motorway following a closure resulting from a collision. [309456]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency does not collect data on the average time taken to reopen a motorway following a closure resulting from a collision.
The Agency sets Key Performance Indicators for its Traffic Officer Service. The Key Performance Indicator for incident clearance is the most accurate proxy measure of restoring traffic flow after an incident, i.e. when the road is reopened to traffic.
The target for clear-up on heavily trafficked roads is 80 per cent. of incidents cleared within 40 minutes and 95 per cent. cleared within 90 minutes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate his Department has made of the average time taken between notification of an incident on the motorway and the reinstatement of normal traffic flow following that incident in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [309457]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency does not have the data to estimate the average time taken between notification of an incident on the motorway and the reinstatement of normal traffic flow following that incident.
The Agency has found that after most incidents have been cleared, some congestion is highly likely, which diminishes over time until normal flow is resumed. This varies according to factors including the time of day and the location.
The Agency sets Key Performance Indicators for its Traffic Officer Service. The Key Performance Indicator for incident clearance is the most accurate proxy measure of restoring traffic flow after an incident, i.e. when the road is reopened to traffic.
The target for clear-up on heavily trafficked roads is 80 per cent. of incidents cleared within 40 minutes and 95 per cent. cleared within 90 minutes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to improve arrangements for communication between traffic officers and the police in respect of traffic incidents on the motorway. [309462]
Chris Mole: On-road traffic officers and the police utilise the Airwave radio service to communicate at incident scenes. The police also use Airwave to communicate directly with Highways Agency regional control centres. To add to this capability, the agency is progressing a programme of work to co-locate police service staff at agency regional control centres.
The Highways Agency and the Association of Chief Police Officers recently launched a Traffic Incident Management Guidance Framework which outlines the roles and responsibilities of both parties when managing motorway incidents.
Regular multi-agency exercises test operational capability, capture lessons learned and improve working relationships between the Highways Agency and other incident responders on a regional basis.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators have been set by his Department and its agencies for traffic officers on setting signs and signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident; and what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system of setting signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident. [309463]
Chris Mole: Signs and signals setting by traffic officers is measured by two key performance indicators within the Highways Agency:
Signal and sign setting performance indicators
Set 90 per cent. of appropriate signs and signals within three minutes of a traffic officer/police request being received and changed/removed within two minutes.
All operators to achieve 90 per cent. pass on quality compliance checks for incident handling.
The agency is unable to fully measure the effectiveness of the system of setting signs and signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident.
But the agency has monitoring processes in place at the National Traffic Control Centre, through which it reviews the accuracy of variable message signs and puts corrective action in place when errors are identified.
The agency undertakes National Road Users Satisfaction Surveys on a regular basis which includes questions regarding the accuracy of messages shown on variable message signs. These results are used to inform improvements to accuracy of messages.
The Highways Agency information line also gathers real time feedback from road users and is able to check the accuracy of the set signs and signals.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment his Department and its agencies have made of the effects on motorway incident clear-up times of the division of roles and responsibilities between the Highways Agency and the police; and if he will make a statement. [309464]
Chris Mole: There has been no assessment of how motorway incident clear-up times have been affected following the realignment of roles and responsibilities of the Highways Agency and the Police in 2004.
An assessment of how the realignment of the roles and responsibilities has impacted motorway clear-up times would require performance data indicative of how effectively motorway clear-up was performed prior to the realignment of roles and responsibilities. This data is not available to the Agency and therefore it is not possible to make a comparison.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken to remove a vehicle from a motorway following a collision; [309465]
(2) what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken to remove an abandoned vehicle from a motorway. [309466]
Chris Mole: Where a traffic officer arranges for a vehicle to be removed from the carriageway as part of the National Vehicle Recovery Programme, performance targets are in place.
In November 2009 81 per cent. of light vehicles classified as ‘immediate priority’ were removed within 45 minutes. 99.9 per cent. of all vehicles classified as ‘immediate priority’ were removed within 120 minutes. 82 per cent. of light vehicles classified as ‘routine’ were removed within 45 minutes. 100 per cent. of all vehicles classified as ‘routine’ were removed within 120 minutes.
The response time information only relates to the vehicle removal component of the incident, for those incidents involving a vehicle where a traffic officer has arranged for removal on the Strategic Road Network. The Department for Transport does not hold response time information for those vehicles removed by the police or where the owner of the vehicle makes their own suitable recovery arrangements.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators his Department has set in respect of the duration of motorway closures following traffic incidents; and what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the time taken to re-open a motorway after such an incident. [309467]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has set key performance indicators for the traffic officer service in respect of incident response times and incident clearance times.
The Agency has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the incident time-line. These include loan of collision investigation equipment to the police, introduction of the Traffic Incident Management Guidance Framework, Enhanced Incident Support Units, availability of specialist equipment and resources and the National Vehicle Recovery Contract.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators have been set by his Department and its agencies for traffic officers in respect of incident clear-up times on motorways following traffic incidents. [309471]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has set the following key performance indicators in respect of incident clear-up times on motorways following traffic incidents:
Incident clearance times performance indicators( 1)
Between 6 am and 10 pm on heavily trafficked roads, clear 80 per cent. of immediate graded(2) incidents from all live lanes within 40 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 pm on lightly trafficked roads, clear 80 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 45 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 hrs on heavily trafficked roads, clear 95 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 90 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 am on lightly trafficked roads, clear 95 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 95 minutes.
(1) “Incident clearance” is defined and recorded where Traffic Officer Service is involved in the management of the incidents.
(2) An “immediate graded incident” is one where there is an obstruction on or related to the live carriageway that is likely to cause congestion or threaten safety.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average time taken was between the notification of a regional control centre of a motorway traffic incident and the arrival of the traffic officer service at the scene of that incident in each of the last 10 years; and what performance indicators are in place in respect of that response time. [309472]
Chris Mole: The traffic officer service has only been fully operational nationally since 2007. While some regional data exists on response time prior to October 2006, the incomplete data cannot be used to calculate the average time.
The following table shows the average time taken between the notification of a regional control centre of a motorway traffic incident and the arrival of the traffic officer service:
Average immediate response times over a 24 hour period (minutes)
1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007
9.4
2007-08
9.2
2008-09
9.3
The figures illustrated in the table above show the average response time for the Traffic Officer Service to attend incidents classified as ‘immediate’. An ‘immediate graded incident’ is one where there is an obstruction on or related to the live carriageway that is likely to cause congestion or threaten safety.
The Highways Agency has not set a key performance indicator for the average time taken between the notification to a regional control centre of a motorway traffic incident and the arrival of the traffic officer service at the scene. This aspect of performance is addressed as part of the indicators for the clearance of incidents from all live lanes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many staff of his Department are employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time on research for the purposes of reducing incident clear-up times on motorways. [309474]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency manages research into incident clear up times on motorways. The Highways Agency currently has six full-time staff who spend on average approximately 10 per cent. of their time working on research into reducing incident clear up times on motorways.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what trials using laser-surveying equipment his Department has undertaken for the purposes of reducing motorway incident clear-up times. [309475]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency is currently working closely with Humberside, Sussex and the Metropolitan police forces to trial laser-surveying equipment. This trial will establish what benefits can be provided with respect to reducing the time it takes the police to carry out the investigation of fatal or serious injury incidents on the motorway. The final evaluation of the laser-surveying trial will be completed in 2011.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department and its agencies have spent on (a) research and (b) trials of equipment for the purposes of reducing motorway incident clear-up times on motorways in the last five years. [309476]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency manages research into incident clear up times on motorways. In the last five years (from financial year 2005-06 up to and including the current financial year) the Highways Agency has invested approximately £0.507 million on research and £0.154 million on trials to improve incident clear up times on motorways.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects on accident rates of spray on (a) motorways and (b) other principal roads. [316103]
Chris Mole: There were 421 personal injury accidents on our trunk road network in the three year period 2006 to 2008 where spray was noted by the police as a contributory factor. Of the 421 personal injury accidents, there were 262 on motorways and 159 on ‘A Class’ trunk roads associated with ‘spray from other vehicles’.
There is no ongoing or recently completed research into the effects of spray on accident rates on motorways or other principal roads.
In 2008, joint research by the Highways Agency and the road surfacing industry attempted to measure spray levels on different road surfaces on motorways and trunk roads with varying rainfall conditions but was inconclusive as the available technology could not provide a feasible way of measuring spray levels.
Roads: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road accidents resulted in the death or serious injury of (a) an adult and (b) a child in (i) Lewes constituency and (ii) East Sussex in each year since 1994. [315770]
Paul Clark: The information requested can be found in the following tables.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100209/text/100209w0010.htm
Speed Limits: Cameras
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will require each local authority seeking to install speed cameras on motorways passing through that local authority’s area to use the money raised in consequence of the operation of such cameras to install lighting on motorways throughout that area. [316010]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency is responsible for maintaining and operating the motorway network including installing speed cameras and lighting.
Lighting on motorways would only be considered where safety benefits gained from the lighting will exceed the whole-life costs of installation, operating and maintaining it.
Fine revenue from speeding offences goes directly to HM Treasury.
Traffic Officers
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many patrol vehicles were in operation on the motorway network on the latest date for which figures are available. [309459]
Chris Mole: Figures for week commencing Monday 21 December 2009 show that 113 patrol vehicles were deployed for each of the two day shifts and 64 patrol vehicles were deployed for the night shift.
The patrol routes include the motorway network and a small number of specific sections of all purpose trunk roads in England.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment has been made of the performance of the traffic officer service since its implementation; what recent steps his Department and its agencies have taken to increase the effectiveness of that service; and when he next plans to review the roles of traffic officers. [309468]
Chris Mole: The traffic officer service was established between 2004 and 2007. A review of the service was completed in April 2009 and recognised that performance of the service was in line with expectations in terms of the contribution towards reduced congestion, improved safety and the freeing up of police time.
The effectiveness of the service has been enhanced since becoming fully operational with the introduction of a number of initiatives. These include:
the introduction of key performance indicators;
the national vehicle recovery manager contract which has resulted in improvements to the removal of abandoned and collision damaged vehicles; the co-location of the police control room staff in the regional control centres enabling improved incident management; and
an award-winning training scheme improving the traffic officer service capability.
There are no current plans to further review the roles of the traffic officers.
Traffic Officers: Expenditure
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department and its agencies spent on (a) fuel and (b) maintenance for patrol vehicles in each of the last three years. [309452]
Chris Mole: The Vehicle Operator Services Agency and the Highways Agency use patrol vehicles; however, spend information on fuel and maintenance for patrol vehicles is not recorded separately and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Where information is available it has been set out as follows:
The Vehicle Operator Services Agency spend on fuel for patrol vehicles from October 2008 to September 2009 was £161,467 and spend on maintenance of patrol vehicles from October 2008 to September 2009 was £164,343.
The Highways Agency spend on fuel for patrol vehicles was £2,340,000 in 2006-07, £2,016,000 in 2007-08 and £2,772,000 in 2008-09. Vehicles are provided on a lease basis which includes the lease and maintenance costs which cannot be separated. The lease cost for patrol vehicles was £2,305,000 in 2006-07, £2,337,000 in 2007-08 and £3,118,000 in 2008-09. For 2008-09 approximately one-third of the lease cost was for maintenance. The increase in costs is largely as a result of the growth in the number of traffic officer patrols as the service was rolled out across the motorway network in England.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency does not use patrol vehicles but has vehicles that are used in response to incidents.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost of patrol vehicles maintenance has been in each year since the introduction of the traffic officer service. [309460]
Chris Mole: Traffic officer vehicles are provided on a lease basis and the Highways Agency is charged a monthly fee that comprises costs for both lease and maintenance. The annual spend since 2004 is shown in the following table.
Financial year Lease/maintenance (£000)
2004-05
272
2005-06
1,369
2006-07
2,305
2007-08
2,337
2008-09
3,118
For 2008-09 approximately one third of the lease cost was for maintenance.
The increase in costs is largely as a result of the growth in the number of traffic officer patrols as the service was rolled out across the motorway network in England.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department and its agencies had spent on the traffic officer service on the latest date for which figures are available. [309470]
Chris Mole: The expenditure on the traffic officer service is not separately identified in the annual report and accounts of the Highways Agency. An extract of the management accounts has been used to provide the information requested.
The Highways Agency has spent the following on the provision of the traffic officer service, from inception to the latest audited accounts.
Financial year Expenditure (£ million)
2004-05
56.1
2005-06
90.0
2006-07
78.6
2007-08
79.2
2008-09
85.8
The early years include the set-up costs for the service. The service was rolled out across the regions, reaching full coverage in October 2006 with the first full year of operation being 2007-08.
Traffic Officers: Training
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the average cost to his Department and its agencies of training a traffic officer to the standard required to discharge duties effectively in the latest period for which figures are available. [309469]
Chris Mole: Traffic officers operate primarily either on the road or in a regional control centre and the training requirement for each role is different. The average cost of training for each role is:
On road
£4,500
Off road
£5,000
This cost covers initial off the job training, followed by on the job coaching to ensure that new recruits can operate safely and competently in a live environment.
Wednesday 10 February 2010
M1
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many fatalities there were on the M1 in (a) sections with side run-off protection and (b) sections without side run-off protection in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [316447]
Chris Mole: The following table shows validated figures for all fatalities for the M1 in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100210/text/100210w0011.htm
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what proportion of the length of the M1 has side run-off protection; and what estimates he has made of the cost of installing such protection for the entire length of the M1. [316448]
Chris Mole: Approximately 45 per cent. of the M1 has side run-off protection.
To date there has been no estimate made of the cost of installing side run-off protection on the entire length of the M1. Such systems are put in place on sections of road that satisfy specific criteria as set out in Highways Agency standards. The need for such vehicle restraints is under constant review as part of operational requirements.
Driving Offences: Convictions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hit and run traffic incidents led to an individual being convicted in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each year since 1998. [315061]
Maria Eagle: The number of hit and run incidents cannot be directly linked to prosecutions and convictions at court. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the information requested.
The information given in the following table shows the number of offenders convicted at all courts for the offence of “failing to stop after an accident” in England and Wales, by police force area, from 1998 to 2008 (latest available).
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100210/text/100210w0024.htm#1002111000022
Driving Offences: Fines
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average fine imposed for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third-party risks was in 2008. [316323]
Claire Ward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer on 2 February 2010, Official Report, column 262W.
Driving Offences: Suffolk
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many drivers have been prosecuted for offences under sections (a) 3 and (b) 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in Suffolk in each year since 1997; [314875]
10 Feb 2010 : Column 1075W
(2) how many drivers have been prosecuted for failing to stop after an accident under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in Suffolk in each year since 1997. [314882]
Claire Ward: The number of proceedings at the magistrates courts for the offence of driving without
10 Feb 2010 : Column 1076W
due care and attention, driving on footway and failing to stop after an accident for the years 1997 to 2008 are shown in the following tables.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100210/text/100210w0025.htm
