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Drink Driving
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what research he has evaluated as to the age groups most prone to drinking and driving; and if he will make a statement; [136505]
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- (2) what research he has commissioned on the best ways to discourage drinking and driving; [136511]
Mr. Hill: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has commissioned a wide-ranging programme of research into drinking and driving. This research has included trends in drinking and driving, and characteristics of drink drive offenders, including the age distribution. Research has also evaluated the drink drive rehabilitation scheme and reviewed the High Risk Offender scheme. Other research has considered drink drivers' attitudes to enforcement and penalties. Much of this research is reflected in the Government's Road Safety Strategy "Tomorrows Roads--Safer for Everyone". The following research reports, published by the Transport Research Laboratory, are relevant:
- Drinking and driving in Great Britain--a review. G. Maycock. TRL Report 232. 1997.
- The high risk offender scheme for drink-drivers. G. P. Davies et al. TRL Report 394. 1999.
- Drink/driver rehabilitation courses in England and Wales. G. P. Davies et al. TRL Report 426. 1999.
- Unlawful driving behaviour: a criminological perspective. C. Corbett et al. TRL Contractor Report CR 301. 1992.
An analysis of drink-drive data, including trends in accidents involving illegal alcohol levels, casualty and accident characteristics and breath test outcomes is included annually in Road Accidents Great Britain.
The Department also commissions market research into the attitudes of those who drink and drive so that its advertising can be effectively directed.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries in the last 10 years have been attributed to drinking and driving. [136503]
Mr. Hill: The data required are given in the table.
The estimated number of fatalities in accidents involving illegal alcohol levels in the years 1989-99 was 6,520, and the estimated number of serious injuries for the same time period was 35,170.
| Year | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 790 | 5,100 | 16,860 | 22,740 |
| 1989 | 810 | 4,790 | 16,620 | 22,220 |
| 1990 | 760 | 4,090 | 15,550 | 20,400 |
| 1991 | 660 | 3,610 | 13,610 | 17,880 |
| 1992 | 660 | 3,280 | 12,770 | 16,710 |
| 1993 | 540 | 2,660 | 11,780 | 14,980 |
| 1994 | 540 | 2,840 | 11,780 | 15,160 |
| 1995 | 540 | 3,000 | 12,450 | 16,000 |
| 1996 | 580 | 3,010 | 13,450 | 17,040 |
| 1997 | 550 | 2,940 | 13,310 | 16,800 |
| 1998 | 460 | 2,520 | 12,610 | 15,590 |
| 1999(4) | 420 | 2,430 | 13,980 | 16,830 |
(4) Provisional data. Final fatality data from coroners are available for 1998 but 1999 estimates are based on around three-quarters of expected coroners' returns and may be biased. They remain provisional until more complete information for 1999 is available.
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Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has commissioned on the impact of insurance costs for drivers aged 17 to 25 on the rate of drinking and driving. [136504]
Local Government Finance
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes he plans to make to the SSA methodology following the transfer of funding for 2001-02 for Adult Education, Nursery Education Grant and Care Leavers Grant. [137067]
Ms Armstrong: We have consulted local government on whether adjustments were required to the SSA methodology to reflect the transfers of funding for Adult Education, Nursery Education Grant and Care Leavers Grant. Over 100 responses were received, the vast majority supporting our recommended approach.
I therefore propose that we implement our recommended approach. That is, that we make no change to the SSA methodology for Other Education or Children's Social Services following the transfers for Adult Education and Care Leavers Grant, and that we make a small adjustment to the Under 5s SSA methodology following the transfer of funding for Nursery Education for four-year-olds. The purpose of the adjustment to the Under 5s SSA is to ensure that the distribution of this funding matches, as closely as possible, the previous distribution under specific grant.
Rural Areas
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's definition of a rural area. [136727]
Mr. Meacher: The Government have no single definition of a rural area. But different definitions are used for different policy purposes to ensure that policies are sensitive to differing circumstances and to ensure administrative efficiency.
The Countryside Agency, which is the Government's statutory adviser on issues relating to the environmental, economic and social well being of the English countryside currently uses a working definition of rural areas as those wards which lie outside settlements of 10,000 people.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people in England live in settlements of between 2,000 and 20,000, and, of this number, how many live in settlements of 10,000 or more. [136719]
Mr. Meacher: In 1991 the population living in settlements in England of the following size was:
- Settlements of 2,000-20,000: 6,890,253
- Settlements of 10,000-20,000: 2,682,336 (included in above)
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Parish Councils
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government have any plans to change the law on parish referendums. [136726]
Ms Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 2 November 2000, Official Report, column 551W.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many new parish councils have been formed in each of the last 10 years. [136718]
Ms Armstrong: The table shows the number of new parishes that have been created in each of the last ten years:
| Year | Number of parishes created |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 19 |
| 1991-92 | 10 |
| 1992-93 | 6 |
| 1993-94 | 10 |
| 1994-95 | 4 |
| 1995-96 | 18 |
| 1996-97 | 9 |
| 1997-98 | 1 |
| 1998-99 | 20 |
| 1999-2000 | 42 |
Trans-European Network
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what ports in the UK are included in the Trans-European Network transport network; and what (a) EU and (b) UK funds have been used for improving facilities at those ports in each year since 1994. [129466]
Mr. Hill [pursuant to his reply, 12 July 2000, c. 561-62W]:
| Year | Ports receiving funds | EU funding |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | None | -- |
| 1996 | None | -- |
| 1997 | Portsmouth, Great Yarmouth, Boston, Port of London, Southampton, Felixstowe, Heysham | 0.70 |
| 1998 | Portsmouth, Sunderland, Tyne, Humber, Heysham, Southampton, Harwich | 1.60 |
| 1999 | Great Yarmouth | 0.24 |
Rail Freight
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what will be the (a) initial and (b) longer-term cargo-deck heights on the sprinter trains proposed by the winner of the recent rail freight competition; and if the layout of their longer-term sprinter-train design has been finalised. [129997]
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Mr. Hill [pursuant to his reply, 10 July 2000, c. 403-04W]: I would like to confirm that the deck-height of the Railtrack MPVC (multi-purpose vehicle container) used in the trials is 1,200 mm and of the intermediate container flats 1,000 mm and not as printed in the Official Report.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what will be the maximum cargo height on the piggyback trailer systems that have been proposed by the winner of the recent rail freight competition. [129996]
Mr. Hill [pursuant to his reply, 10 July 2000, c. 404W]: I would like to confirm that the maximum cargo-height will be 3.4 m permitting the conveyance of the semi-trailer or 96" ISO containers in the wagon pockets or a C45 Swapbody over SBI-c cleared routes and not as printed in the Official Report.
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