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Heathrow Airport

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to assess the effect on regional economies of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. [140546]

Mr. McNulty: A third runway at Heathrow, in common with additional runways at other South East airports, would lead to more short-haul services including services from the UK regions to London. The benefits to regional passengers from providing more capacity at South East airports are described in Chapter 3 of "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East".

Heavy Goods Vehicles

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) number and (b) percentage of

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(i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries from road accidents resulted from a crash involving a heavy goods vehicle in each year since 1997 (A) in total and (B) broken down by (1) daytime and (2) night-time periods. [141151]

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Mr. Jamieson: The following table shows the number and percentage of deaths and serious injuries from road accidents involving one or more HGV by daylight, darkness and total categories for each year since 1997.

Casualties in road accidents involving HGVs

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Daylight
Deaths	408	401	458	387	401	365
Percentage of all fatalities in daylight	19.6	20.1	22.9	19.6	20.2	18.4
Serious injuries	2,204	2,026	2,114	2,092	1,979	1,819
Percentage of all serious injuries in daylight	7.7	7.5	8.0	8.3	8.1	7.8
Darkness
Deaths	127	175	162	173	174	167
Percentage of all fatalities in darkness	8.4	12.3	11.4	12.0	11.8	11.6
Serious injuries	720	666	656	627	585	555
Percentage of all serious injuries in darkness	5.0	4.9	5.2	4.9	4.6	4.4
Total
Deaths	535	576	620	560	575	532
Percentage of all fatalities	14.9	16.8	18.1	16.4	16.7	15.5
Serious injuries	2,924	2,692	2,771	2,719	2,564	2,374
Percentage of all serious injuries	6.8	6.6	7.1	7.1	6.9	6.6

Darkness is half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Daylight is all other times.

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total vehicle kilometres of a heavy goods vehicle were for each year since 1997 (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) daytime and (ii) night-time periods. [141152]

Mr. Jamieson: Estimated total vehicle kilometres by HGVs in Great Britain for each year since 1997 are given in the following table. It is not possible to distinguish traffic in daylight hours and hours of darkness.

Heavy goods vehicle traffic: 1997–2002Billion vehicle kilometres

	All goods vehicles(1)
1997	26.8
1998	27.9
1999	28.1
2000	28.2
2001	28.0
2002	28.3

⁽¹⁾ Goods vehicles over 3,500 kgs gross vehicle weight

Long Vehicles

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans there are to make Regulation UN ECE 104 on conspicuity markings on long vehicles legally binding; [141148]

(2) when the UK became a signatory to the UN regulation ECE 104 on conspicuity markings on long vehicles; and what progress has been made on its implementation; [141149]

(3) what representations his Department has received from road safety organisations regarding Regulation UN ECE 104 on conspicuity markings on long vehicles. [141150]

Mr. Jamieson: The UK became a signatory to UN ECE Regulation 104 on 15 January 1998. The regulation provides for the international approval of retro-reflective marking material for heavy or long vehicles. It also gives guidance on how the material might be shaped and mounted.

The Government have no plans to make conspicuity markings based on this regulation legally binding. Within the EU we recently agreed to incorporate the regulation into the EU type approval system for the installation of lighting and light signalling devices, but only as an option. As EU approvals can still be issued to vehicles without these conspicuity markings it appears that there is no scope for national governments unilaterally to require them.

The European Commission is investigating the costs and benefits of a mandatory requirement and may make proposals when its research is complete. The Department for Transport will await the results of the research before taking a view on whether any such proposal should be supported.

The Department has recently received representation from one road safety organisation.

Road Safety

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to amend the law as it applies to the use of (a) electric wheelchairs and (b) scooters on the public highway. [141589]

Mr. Jamieson: We recognise that these vehicles provide invaluable independent mobility to many disabled and older people. However, we are aware of concerns about their use on the highway and we are conducting a comprehensive review beginning with a research study to establish basic facts about current usage and to canvass views of users and other key stakeholders. Subject to the outcome of this investigation we will be considering what changes may need to be made to current legislation governing the construction and use of these vehicles on the highway.

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Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents involving (a) electric wheelchairs and (b) scooters were recorded in each of the last five years; and how many of them involved (i) fatality and (ii) serious injury. [141590]

Mr. Jamieson: The information is not held centrally.

Shipping

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of United Kingdom ships using the tonnage tax scheme fly the Red Ensign. [140674]

Mr. Jamieson: 69 per cent. of the total ships under the tonnage tax scheme fly the Red Ensign.

Speed Cameras

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution of speed cameras to reduction in road deaths; and if he will make a statement. [140824]

Mr. Jamieson: On 11 February 2003 the Department published an independently produced evaluation report of the 2-year trial of the safety camera cost recovery system. This showed an average 35 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured at camera sites, equating to around 280 people and a 4 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured across the pilot areas, equating to around 530 people.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras were operational on 31 July. [140828]

Mr. Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the accounts of the Safety Camera partnerships; and if he will make a statement. [140825]

Mr. Jamieson: Local authorities, through which payments from netted off fine revenue from speed camera offences are made to Safety Camera Partnerships, are obliged to make their accounts available for public scrutiny each year.

SS Montgomery

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether there were nuclear weapons on board the SS Montgomery when it sank off Sheerness; and if he will make a statement. [140707]

Mr. Jamieson: The cargo manifest does not include nuclear weapons.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether fulminite of mercury was present in fuses on board the SS Montgomery; and if he will make a statement. [140708]

Mr. Jamieson: The cargo manifest of the 'Richard Montgomery' does not specifically refer to fulminate of mercury, but does list other types of fuses. However, fulminate of mercury was in use at the time so may be contained in some of the detonators and fuses.

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Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the ammunition on board the SS Montgomery is in a stable condition; and if he will make a statement. [140709]

Mr. Jamieson: The wreck of the 'Richard Montgomery' is surveyed by diver and sonar survey on a regular basis and appears to be in a stable condition. The majority of the munitions are unfused. The munitions which are fused are considered by experts to be likely to be stable given the circumstances and duration of storage.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned on whether the detonation of ammunition at Shoeburyness will have a deleterious effect on the ammunition on board the SS Montgomery. [140710]

Mr. Jamieson: No research has been commissioned into whether the detonation of ammunition at Shoeburyness Firing Range will have a deleterious effect on the ammunition onboard the 'Richard Montgomery'. However, the wreck of the 'Richard Montgomery' is surveyed by diver and sonar survey on a regular basis and in the 59 years since the sinking of the wreck, no incidents of any nature have been reported as a result of the activities at Shoeburyness.

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