House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Mar 2004 (pt 3)

15 Mar 2004 : Column 9W—continued

Katharine Gun

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General for what reasons the prosecution against Katharine Gun, in respect of alleged actions she took while employed at GCHQ, was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. [157497]

The Solicitor-General: I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 26 February 2004, Official Report, columns 426–29.

WALES

Business Output

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the level of Welsh business output was for each month of 2003. [157665]

Mr. Touhig: Information on business output is published quarterly.

The latest available figures for 2003 are as follows:

Figures

QTR 1 92.4

QTR 2 92.3

QTR 3 90.1

	Figures
QTR 1	92.4
QTR 2	92.3
QTR 3	90.1

Source:

From the Index of Production and Construction. Jointly produced by Statistical Directorate National Assembly for Wales and the ONS.

15 Mar 2004 : Column 10W

Ministerial Speeches

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many speeches he made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156106]

Mr. Hain: I have made some 20 speeches during the period in question. These include keynote speeches to the Institute of Welsh Affairs ¹ , Cardiff Business Club, Wales Industry Forum, Alstom UK Annual Dinner, the Italian Ambassadors luncheon and the State of the Nations ¹ lecture for the Constitution Unit.

In addition I have spoken at a number of events such as IPPR breakfast, International Eisteddfod, Salvation Army presentation, British Telecom Broadband presentation and most recently at reception for Japanese business people.

¹ These speeches are on the Wales Office website—www. walesoffice.gov.uk/report.html

TRANSPORT

Computerised MOT Tests

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 8 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1237–38W, on computerised MOT tests, what benefits were expected prior to tendering, of computerisation of the MOT test; and if he will make a statement on the disadvantages consequent on late delivery of the ordered system. [161497]

15 Mar 2004 : Column 11W

Mr. Jamieson: The main benefits of computerising MOT testing are expected to be:

Improved road safety and environmental protection by raising testing standards and enabling increased motorists' compliance with annual testing requirements.

Increased consumer protection by improving the consistency of testing, reducing unnecessary MOT test failures and related repairs.

Reduced crime and fraud by preventing fraudulent or unauthorised issue of test certificates and eliminating forgeries.

Modernised and more efficient administration of the scheme through networking communications enabling real time access to testing information and results, reducing the compliance burden on MOT stations, and enabling delivery of an electronic vehicle relicensing service to motorists.

Late delivery of the computerised service will mean that the current manual procedures will need to be retained for longer than envisaged.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 8 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1237–38W, on computerised MOT tests, under what circumstances the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency could terminate the contract. [161498]

Mr. Jamieson: VOSA could seek to terminate its contract with Siemens Business Services (SBS):

1. for material default by SBS which is either not capable of remedy or is not remedied within a specified period depending on the breach;

2. if SBS is or is near being insolvent;

3. if SBS undergoes a change of control which is not in VOSA's or DfT's interest;

4. if there are prolonged serious problems as a result of events outside VOSA's or SBS' control and alternative arrangements cannot be agreed.

VOSA may also terminate without cause. In this case it would have to pay compensation to SBS covering its legitimate costs and for some loss of profit.

Rural Bus Services (Chorley)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rural bus services in Chorley are funded by rural bus grants. [161533]

Mr. McNulty: Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) is paid to local transport authorities. In the case of Chorley this is Lancashire county council. It is for the authority to decide which services should be supported with the grant. We understand from the county council that four rural bus services in Chorley are currently supported by RBSG.

Goods Vehicles

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many closed container vehicles and trailers, including curtain sided ones, are (a) registered in and (b) operate from the UK; and if he will make a statement. [160326]

Mr. Jamieson: At the end of 2002, there were in total 433,000 goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross weight licensed in Great Britain. 101,000 vehicles were specified on standard international licences authorising operators to carry goods on international journeys.

15 Mar 2004 : Column 12W

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate how many closed container vehicles and trailers, including curtain sided ones, travelled to mainland Europe through (a) the Channel tunnel and (b) ferry ports in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [160327]

Mr. Jamieson: Information is not available in the form requested. The available information is as follows:

Roads goods vehicles travelling to mainland Europe: powered goods vehicles and trailers

Thousand⁽⁴⁾

2001 2,398

2002 2,528

2003 2,593

	Thousand⁽⁴⁾
2001	2,398
2002	2,528
2003	2,593

⁽⁴⁾ Number of one-way vehicle trips.

Source:

Roll-on Roll-off goods vehicle survey: DfT.

Rail Capacity (West Yorkshire)

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to increase rail capacity (a) in West Yorkshire, (b) on the Wharfedale Line, (c) on the Harrogate Line and (d) on the Airedale Line; [160932]

Mr. McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has published a Capacity Utilisation Policy and has also developed a new planning framework. A key aspect of this includes Regional Planning Assessments (RPA) which will form a basis for planning rail services over the medium to long term at a more detailed level. The SRA will produce the RPA for Yorkshire and Humberside in 2005, at which time specific capacity issues for the lines in question will be taken into account. I am not aware of any representations specifically on increasing rail capacity in West Yorkshire.

Road Safety

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians were (a) killed and (b) injured in road traffic accidents in each year since 1997. [161553]

Mr. Jamieson: The following table shows, for Great Britain, how many pedestrians were (a) killed and (b) injured in road traffic accidents reported to the police, in each year from 1997 to 2002. This information has been published in "Road Casualties Great Britain 2002—Annual Report", a copy of which is in the Library.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Killed 973 906 870 857 826 775

Injured 44,628 43,980 42,018 41,176 39,751 38,009

Total 45,601 44,886 42,888 42,033 40,577 38,784

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Killed	973	906	870	857	826	775
Injured	44,628	43,980	42,018	41,176	39,751	38,009
Total	45,601	44,886	42,888	42,033	40,577	38,784

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of all assessments carried out by his Department of road accidents involving each car type. [161554]

15 Mar 2004 : Column 13W

Mr. Jamieson: The latest assessment of the risk of driver injury when different models of car are involved in an accident, was published in the Statistical Bulletin "Cars: Make and Model: The Risk of Driver Injury in Great Britain: 1996–2000", published on 15 May 2003. Copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) research projects and (b) campaign groups connected with road safety to

15 Mar 2004 : Column 14W

which his Department gave money, listing the amounts given to each in 2003–04. [160994]

Mr. Jamieson: We provide financial assistance to organisations other than local authorities, who successfully bid under Challenge Fund arrangements, for grant towards the costs of initiatives which promote road safety. Details of the organisations assisted and the nature of their initiatives are provided in the table. We also commission research from a number of research organisations, universities and consultants. Details of the road safety research programme are available at: www.rmd.dft.gov.uk

Applicant Proposals Grant (£)

Ape Theatre Company Pills Thrills and automobiles. The project is for funding of a drug/drive play aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds to reduce drug related accidents, through interaction and provocation of thought/consequences. 20,000.00

Brake Schools action packs. The project is for the funding of Road Safety Week "action packs" for school teachers, nursery leaders and youth club leaders. Two action packs will be produced: one for teachers of nursery and primary age children (xl0,000); the other for teachers of secondary school children (x3,000). 10,000

Brake Getting the road safety message across–a communications strategy for road safety professionals. This project would provide a communications strategy for Road Safety Professionals and has the support of the Local Authority Road Safety Officers Association (LARSOA). 4,190.00

CAPT Child Safety Week aims to raise awareness levels within local communities through those, at local level, best able to influence children and their parents/carers about avoiding accidents. The theme for Child Safety Week 2003 was "One moment can change everything". The message to participants was "Accidents happen in seconds but the effects can last a lifetime". Take action now for child safety. Road accidents, in particular pedestrian and cycling accidents, were one of the four accident topics highlighted. 10,000.00

Oxford Brookes University Pedestrian visibility: improving children's understanding and behaviour. The project aims to develop a computer based tool to improve children's awareness of pedestrian visibility. This is a one off project which would take place at a purpose built Lifeskills centre in Bristol. A final report would be produced and the lessons learned will be incorporated into Lifeskills permanent training, which reaches 8,500 children per year (over 50 per cent. of year six children in Bristol and adjacent educational authorities). 10,000.00

RAC Grass Routes: investigating safer journeys. The project aims to raise awareness of road safety and road hazards among one of the most at risk groups of road users, 11 to14-year-olds, by the production of a schools resource pack, which will be made available to all secondary schools in the UK. The pack will focus on safer journeys to school. The proposal would expand the project which took place last year (2002–03) and was a continuation of an earlier Grass Routes project which focused on the environmental impact of the school run. 18,447.63

RoSPA Child restraints video. The purpose of the project is to produce a video and DVD of approximately 15 minutes duration to provide advice on choosing and using child car restraints and to give practical demonstrations of how to properly fit them. It will be designed to be used as a training aid by Road Safety Officers and health professionals, but also to be used by parents. 20,000.00

RoSPA Redevelopment of the ORSA website. This project is to redevelop and manage (for the first year) the temporary website established by the Occupational Road Safety Alliance. The funding is to produce a professional and useful/useable resource for those involved in, or wanting information about, at-work road safety. 16,807.50

RoSPA Resource for parents (and other non-professional trainers) who supervise L drivers. The purpose of this project is to produce advice for parents, including practical tips, on helping their children learn to drive. 12,007.00

RoSPA Presenting Road Safety: A guide for the media. The purpose of this project is to revise and re-publish RoSPA's Guide for the media, "Presenting Road safety". Free copies of the Guide would be distributed to all Local Authorities, other road safety related organisations, the main media organisations and Regulatory bodies. 10,868.00

RoSPA Education resource for Key stage 1 children with English as second language. This project would produce a spiral bound, stand up book for use with Key Stage 1 children whose first language is not English. The book would feature clear and simple road safety messages about crossing the road, cycling (away from traffic) and travelling in a car. It would also include an introduction to road signs within these topics. The messages to be in Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi, as they are the most common ethnic minority languages, as well as English. 19,835.00

RoSPA Road safety resource file: Key stage 4 citizenship. The purpose of this project is to produce a resource for use by teachers in schools to allow students to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding outlined in the Key stage 4 (KS4) Citizenship programme of study by using road safety issues. The resource will include facts and figures, details of the law and legislative instruments, newspaper articles and links to websites. There will be questions and discussion points, which will draw out key issues. In addition to a printed version, the resource will be produced in an electronic format suitable for downloading from the internet. 16,598.00

RoSPA Driving for work: safer journey planner. This application is to fund the production and distribution of a leaflet Driving for Work: Safer Journey Planner" (a work-related version of the "Safer Journey Planner" which RoSPA produced in 2001). The target audience would be employers, managers and staff who drive (or ride) for work. The leaflet would set this issue in the context of the employer's (and individual driver's) duty to risk assess their work related road journeys. 7,712.00

RoSPSA Reprint of the Guidelines for the Management and Operation of Practical Child Cyclist Schemes. 2,676.00

The Portman Group "I'll be Des" campaign packs. The project will produce 1,000 "I'll be Des" campaign packs for Road Safety Officers. 10,318.00

University of Newcastle upon Tyne Kerbcraft road safety training video. The proposed video complements the ongoing management and evaluation of the National Network of Child Pedestrian Training Schemes. The Department for Transport is currently funding100 road safety training schemes between 2002–2006. Each scheme is based around the "Kerbcraft" Model. The video will provide reference material for Kerbcraft co-ordinators, reinforcing the key objectives and methods for training each Kerbcraft skill at the roadside. 19,800.00

West Yorkshire Police Community Trust R.O.A.D.S. (Reduce our accidents decrease speed). This project will fund 50 Young Citizen Panels to influence road users in West Yorkshire to decrease their speed. Each panel will identify a section of road where they consider that drivers speed is dangerous and invite their local Road Safety Officer and a police officer to assess the location. The panel will accompany the Police Officer when a driver is stopped to explain who they represent, why they are conducting the exercise and that they will be reporting on the project. Each driver will be given a copy of The Highway Code and appropriate literature. In January-April 2004 each panel will develop a further road safety project around child pedestrian safety. 7,000.00

Successful projects 216,259.13

Applicant	Proposals	Grant (£)
Ape Theatre Company	Pills Thrills and automobiles. The project is for funding of a drug/drive play aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds to reduce drug related accidents, through interaction and provocation of thought/consequences.	20,000.00
Brake	Schools action packs. The project is for the funding of Road Safety Week "action packs" for school teachers, nursery leaders and youth club leaders. Two action packs will be produced: one for teachers of nursery and primary age children (xl0,000); the other for teachers of secondary school children (x3,000).	10,000
Brake	Getting the road safety message across–a communications strategy for road safety professionals. This project would provide a communications strategy for Road Safety Professionals and has the support of the Local Authority Road Safety Officers Association (LARSOA).	4,190.00
CAPT	Child Safety Week aims to raise awareness levels within local communities through those, at local level, best able to influence children and their parents/carers about avoiding accidents. The theme for Child Safety Week 2003 was "One moment can change everything". The message to participants was "Accidents happen in seconds but the effects can last a lifetime". Take action now for child safety. Road accidents, in particular pedestrian and cycling accidents, were one of the four accident topics highlighted.	10,000.00
Oxford Brookes University	Pedestrian visibility: improving children's understanding and behaviour. The project aims to develop a computer based tool to improve children's awareness of pedestrian visibility. This is a one off project which would take place at a purpose built Lifeskills centre in Bristol. A final report would be produced and the lessons learned will be incorporated into Lifeskills permanent training, which reaches 8,500 children per year (over 50 per cent. of year six children in Bristol and adjacent educational authorities).	10,000.00
RAC	Grass Routes: investigating safer journeys. The project aims to raise awareness of road safety and road hazards among one of the most at risk groups of road users, 11 to14-year-olds, by the production of a schools resource pack, which will be made available to all secondary schools in the UK. The pack will focus on safer journeys to school. The proposal would expand the project which took place last year (2002–03) and was a continuation of an earlier Grass Routes project which focused on the environmental impact of the school run.	18,447.63
RoSPA	Child restraints video. The purpose of the project is to produce a video and DVD of approximately 15 minutes duration to provide advice on choosing and using child car restraints and to give practical demonstrations of how to properly fit them. It will be designed to be used as a training aid by Road Safety Officers and health professionals, but also to be used by parents.	20,000.00
RoSPA	Redevelopment of the ORSA website. This project is to redevelop and manage (for the first year) the temporary website established by the Occupational Road Safety Alliance. The funding is to produce a professional and useful/useable resource for those involved in, or wanting information about, at-work road safety.	16,807.50
RoSPA	Resource for parents (and other non-professional trainers) who supervise L drivers. The purpose of this project is to produce advice for parents, including practical tips, on helping their children learn to drive.	12,007.00
RoSPA	Presenting Road Safety: A guide for the media. The purpose of this project is to revise and re-publish RoSPA's Guide for the media, "Presenting Road safety". Free copies of the Guide would be distributed to all Local Authorities, other road safety related organisations, the main media organisations and Regulatory bodies.	10,868.00
RoSPA	Education resource for Key stage 1 children with English as second language. This project would produce a spiral bound, stand up book for use with Key Stage 1 children whose first language is not English. The book would feature clear and simple road safety messages about crossing the road, cycling (away from traffic) and travelling in a car. It would also include an introduction to road signs within these topics. The messages to be in Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi, as they are the most common ethnic minority languages, as well as English.	19,835.00
RoSPA	Road safety resource file: Key stage 4 citizenship. The purpose of this project is to produce a resource for use by teachers in schools to allow students to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding outlined in the Key stage 4 (KS4) Citizenship programme of study by using road safety issues. The resource will include facts and figures, details of the law and legislative instruments, newspaper articles and links to websites. There will be questions and discussion points, which will draw out key issues. In addition to a printed version, the resource will be produced in an electronic format suitable for downloading from the internet.	16,598.00
RoSPA	Driving for work: safer journey planner. This application is to fund the production and distribution of a leaflet Driving for Work: Safer Journey Planner" (a work-related version of the "Safer Journey Planner" which RoSPA produced in 2001). The target audience would be employers, managers and staff who drive (or ride) for work. The leaflet would set this issue in the context of the employer's (and individual driver's) duty to risk assess their work related road journeys.	7,712.00
RoSPSA	Reprint of the Guidelines for the Management and Operation of Practical Child Cyclist Schemes.	2,676.00
The Portman Group	"I'll be Des" campaign packs. The project will produce 1,000 "I'll be Des" campaign packs for Road Safety Officers.	10,318.00
University of Newcastle upon Tyne	Kerbcraft road safety training video. The proposed video complements the ongoing management and evaluation of the National Network of Child Pedestrian Training Schemes. The Department for Transport is currently funding100 road safety training schemes between 2002–2006. Each scheme is based around the "Kerbcraft" Model. The video will provide reference material for Kerbcraft co-ordinators, reinforcing the key objectives and methods for training each Kerbcraft skill at the roadside.	19,800.00
West Yorkshire Police Community Trust	R.O.A.D.S. (Reduce our accidents decrease speed). This project will fund 50 Young Citizen Panels to influence road users in West Yorkshire to decrease their speed. Each panel will identify a section of road where they consider that drivers speed is dangerous and invite their local Road Safety Officer and a police officer to assess the location. The panel will accompany the Police Officer when a driver is stopped to explain who they represent, why they are conducting the exercise and that they will be reporting on the project. Each driver will be given a copy of The Highway Code and appropriate literature. In January-April 2004 each panel will develop a further road safety project around child pedestrian safety.	7,000.00
	Successful projects	216,259.13

15 Mar 2004 : Column 15W

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