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Cycling Accidents

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the level of accidents and injuries among cyclists aged 16 years and under; and if he will include the compulsory wearing of safety helmets. [155220]

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Mr. Jamieson: We have a safer cycling programme, which applies both to cyclists aged 16 and under, and older cyclists. This package of measures includes improved infrastructure—better cycle routes, off road cycle tracks, cycle lanes, advance stop lines, toucan crossings etc.; better driving standards and advice for cyclists, for example we are encouraging better facilities for cyclists and improving training and testing for motorists. It also covers the promotion of measures which cyclists can take to protect themselves, such as taking cycle training, making themselves conspicuous and wearing a cycle helmet.

Measures specifically aimed at younger cyclists include a Cycle Sense campaign. This is aimed at teenagers and was launched on 21 May last year. It encourages teenagers to wear cycle helmets and consists of posters and a Cycle Sense website. For younger cyclists we also produce "Arrive Alive"—a Highway Code for young road users, and we have also worked in partnership with Disney, using their "Recess" characters to promote safer cycling for children through "Cycle Smart" comics and posters. These are available free through local authority road safety officers.

Our position on compulsion has been that at current wearing rates it would cause enforcement difficulties and could have an effect on cycling levels. But the Government will keep their policies in this as in all areas under review in the light of discussion in Parliament and elsewhere.

Departmental Scientific Adviser

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has a Chief Scientific Adviser. [162480]

Mr. McNulty: Professor Frank Kelly joined the Department for Transport as its Chief Scientific Adviser in August 2003.

E-business Strategy

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to produce his Department's e-business strategy. [162814]

Mr. McNulty: A summary of the Department's e-business strategy was presented on page 116 of the Department's Annual Report 2003 (Cm 5907). Good progress has continued to be made during 2003–04, including the launch of an internet service for the booking of practical Driving Tests, a Motoring section of the new DirectGov service and a pilot service for the online payment of Vehicle Excise Duty.

Fuel-efficient Vehicles

Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend the grant scheme for fuel efficient and hybrid powered vehicles. [162906]

Mr. Jamieson: Overall DfT funding for the Transport Energy programmes, including the Powershift grant programme, which supports purchases of clean hybrid and alternatively fuelled vehicles, will be nearly £30 million in 2004–05, the same level as in 2003–04. We will be carrying out a consultation exercise later this year to invite views on how well the Transport Energy

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grant programmes are assisting the delivery of the Government's policy objectives in the Powering Future Vehicles Strategy, and how the programmes could be improved.

Headlamp Glare

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the conclusions of the research project sponsored by his Department into the safe limits for headlamp glare; and if he will make a statement on the action the Government intend to take in the light of the conclusions of the report. [163152]

Mr. Jamieson: The research was carried out by ICE Ergonomics Ltd. Copies of the "Vehicle Lighting: Headlamp Glare and Driver Vision" summary report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

The Department for Transport is actively involved in developing international standards for improved vehicle lighting and will continue to monitor proposals for new headlamp regulations and to oppose them where there is a possibility of increased glare.

Research is currently being carried out into headlamp misalignment as a cause of annual roadworthiness test failure for heavy goods vehicles. The results will be used to consider how the incidence of poorly adjusted headlamps could be reduced.

The Department is also developing protocols for a Primary New Car Assessment Programme looking at lighting and other safety features. If these are adopted as a basis for a European consumer information programme, assessment of headlamps for glare will contribute to the vehicle's rating.

M1

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the roadworks being undertaken between junctions 1 and 2 of the M1 motorway and the roadworks being undertaken on Hendon Way, London have not been phased and carried out consecutively. [162859]

Dr. Howells: The Highways Agency and Transport for London liaised prior to the start of these works to avoid clashes of major works likely to cause severe disruption. These meetings concluded that certain works could be carried out simultaneously.

The works by Transport for London are currently being carried out at the southern end of the A41 only during off-peak hours. The Highways Agency works are continuing 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that they can be completed in the shortest time with minimal inconvenience to the public.

Monitoring by both the Highways Agency and Transport for London has indicated no serious problems for motorists.

Science Strategy

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to enhance science in his Department since the publication of the Government's science strategy, Investing in Innovation. [162243]

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Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport (DfT) has maintained its commitment to the use of science for policy making and delivery. DfTs expenditure on Science, Engineering and Technology remains at the levels indicated in the annual Office of Science and Technology publication "The Forward Look". This includes commissioned research expenditure of around £45 million per year.

In August 2003 Professor Frank Kelly joined the Department as Chief Scientific Adviser. He is focusing on ensuring that DfT scientific activities are well directed and policies are based on sound scientific advice. He also leads on developing a technology strategy for the Department.

In December 2003, the Department published an Evidence and Research Strategy, which aims to help achieve the goal of better evidence based policy-making by taking a strategic look at its future evidence needs. This will inform the planning and execution of the Department's research.

The Department has also created a web-based Research Management Database (RMD) which will make it easier for departmental staff as well as people outside the Department to access the results of the research funded by the DfT. The RMD can be accessed at http://www.rmd.dft.gov.uk.

DfT is continuing to implement the recommendations of the 2002 Cross Cutting Review of Science in Government, and Investing in Innovation. This includes ensuring that our research, and evidence and research expertise are managed effectively.

We support a Horizons responsive research programme, which supports innovative research on the challenges and opportunities DfT might face over the next decade and beyond. The programme invites proposals from external researchers via a series of individual calls.

Renewed emphasis is being put on maximising the use of Departmental Science to promote innovation within the public services and the economy at large. One of the avenues being explored is the opportunities for innovation through the freeing up of information eg real time traffic data.

Speeding

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents which occured in Essex during 2003 were primarily caused by speed; and if he will make a statement. [156314]

Mr. Jamieson: Routine statistics do not record the primary cause of a road accident. However, under a pilot scheme, since 1999 Essex police force has provided information on contributory factors to accidents. The latest year for which pilot data are available is 2002. The number of reported injury accidents in Essex in 2002 for which 'excessive speed' was deemed by the police to be one of the contributory factors, was 964. These 964 accidents resulted in 27 deaths, 270 serious injuries and 1,118 slight injuries.

Essex is one of 14 police forces for which pilot data are available. Overall, the pilot results for 2002 show that 'excessive speed' was deemed to be a factor in some

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15 per cent. of injury accidents. The proportion of accidents where 'excessive speed' is coded as a factor rises with the severity of the accident; it applied to 13 per cent. of slight accidents, 23 per cent. of serious accidents and 33 per cen. of fatal accidents in the pilot areas in 2002. If these proportions were the same across the whole of the country, this would mean that 1,132 deaths, 8,274 serious injuries and 34,216 slight injuries were sustained in accidents where excessive speed was deemed to be a contributory factor.

The contributory factor data are based on the opinions of police officers. In the case of accidents reported by a member of the public at a police station, these factors have to be determined from their description of the accident.

The true extent of the influence of speed as a contributory factor in road traffic accidents may be even greater than suggested by the single factor 'excessive speed', as some other factors—such as 'following too close'—may also be associated with inappropriate speed. My Department is undertaking further analysis of the pilot contributory factor data and will publish an article later in the year.

Starting in January 2005 this pilot scheme will be replaced by a new set of questions on contributory factors, which will henceforward form an integral part of the road accident reporting system and will be collected by all police forces for accidents reported at scene by a police officer.

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