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16 Nov 2005 : Column 1234W—continued
Road Gritting
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the average number of days on which road gritting took place on motorways and trunk roads in each year since 2000. [29080]
Dr. Ladyman: The information is not available in the form requested for each year since 2000. However, with the introduction of a new monitoring system for the last winter season (2004–05), we are able to establish that road gritting took place on 58 days on average across the motorway and trunk road network. This is an average figure and there will be variations across the country.
Safest Vehicles
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) vehicle and (b) vehicle type has had the lowest (i) death and (ii) injury rates among drivers and passengers in the UK since 1985. [27970]
Dr. Ladyman: For drivers, the lowest fatality rate by vehicle kilometres between 1985 and 2004 in Great Britain was among Bus and Coach drivers, with a rate of 0.03 per 100 million vehicle kilometres. The lowest equivalent injury (casualties killed or seriously injured) rates were among drivers of goods vehicles, with rates of 11.66 and 11.70 for Light and Heavy Goods vehicles respectively.
For all vehicle occupants (including drivers), the lowest fatality rate by vehicle kilometres between 1985 and 2004 in Great Britain was among Light Goods
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Vehicle occupants, with a rate of 0.20 per 100 million vehicle kilometres. The lowest equivalent injury rate was among occupants of Heavy Goods Vehicles, with a rate of 13.88. These rates do not take into account the different vehicle occupancy rates of different vehicles.
Comparable figures for Northern Ireland are not available.
Information on casualty rates by vehicle type is not available.
School Crossing Patrols
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many school crossing patrols there were in West Sussex in (a) 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [29543]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not held centrally.
Speed Cameras
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the revenue from fines resulting from speed camera convictions in Wiltshire in the latest year for which figures are available; and what sums were passed to (a) the Treasury and (b) the Wiltshire Speed Camera Partnership. [28432]
Dr. Ladyman: The latest published information, as shown on the Department's website—www.dft.gov.uk—is shown on the audit certificates for financial year 2003–04. For the Wiltshire Safety Camera Partnership area, revenue collected from fixed penalty fines for speeding and/or red light offences was £2,380,800. The Wiltshire Partnership reclaimed £1,259,124 to cover their allowable costs and the balance of £1,121,676 accrued to the Treasury.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the revenue from fines resulting from speed camera convictions in Staffordshire was in the last year for which figures are available; and what sums were passed to (a) the Treasury and (b) the Staffordshire Safety Camera Partnership as a result. [29371]
Dr. Ladyman: The latest published information, as shown on the Department's website—www.dft.gov.uk—is shown on the audit certificates for financial year 2003–04. For the Staffordshire Safety Camera Partnership area, revenue collected from fixed penalty fines for speeding and/or red light offences was £2,436,240. The Staffordshire Partnership reclaimed £1,950,862 to cover their allowable costs and the balance of £485,378 accrued to the Treasury.
Taxicard Schemes
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many taxicard schemes operate in England; and how much central funding was allocated to such schemes for 2005–06. [28143]
Ms Buck:
The provision and funding of taxicard schemes is a matter for local authorities. We do not hold information centrally about such schemes.
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Taxis
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) drivers and (b) passengers have been killed or injured in (i) purpose-built and (ii) converted van type taxis since 1985. [27967]
Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not available.
Traffic Calming Measures
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned on the impact on local residents' journey times of traffic calming measures to eliminate rat-runs, with particular reference to road closures. [26766]
Ms Buck: As part of the Urban Safety Project, the Department for Transport commissioned research into the impact of area wide traffic calming schemes, some of which involved partial or total road closures; this included research into the effect on journey times. The results of this research are reported in TRRL Research Report 263 Urban Safety Project: 3. Overall evaluation of area wide schemes", published in 1990. This report concluded that, in general, increased delays had not been a major penalty in the schemes.
Decisions regarding the implementation of traffic calming measures are for local highway authorities, in consultation with local communities. Deliberations will usually involve a wide range of safety, environment, and traffic management considerations.
Train Operating Companies
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether franchisees are supervised by the Office of Rail Regulation in relation to the number of carriages provided on peak time services. [28079]
Derek Twigg: Capacity on franchised passenger services is determined by the terms of the contract between the franchising authority and the train operator.
US Civil Aircraft
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records are maintained of US civil registered aircraft landing at UK airports. [28814]
Ms Buck: I refer the right hon. and learned Member to the answer I have given to him today (UIN 28400).
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records are maintained of US civil registered planes landing at UK (a) public airports and (b) military airfields. [28400]
Ms Buck:
The Department for Transport maintains records of permits granted to US airlines engaged in civil commercial traffic at United Kingdom airports, where passengers or cargo are taken on board or discharged. Airports maintain records of aircraft movements for a variety of purposes such as charging, administering noise quotas or movements at night.
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TREASURY
Civil Service Jobs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 981W, on civil service jobs, if he will break down the reduced civil service posts by (a) job title and (b) grade. [29006]
Mr. Des Browne: This information is not held centrally. Details of these reductions are a matter for individual departments.
Council Tax
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated change in an average annual council tax bill is for the next taxation year. [26543]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The level of council tax in the coming financial year will depend on local authorities' spending decisions. The Government are committed to ensuring that local authorities can continue to improve services without imposing excessive increases in council tax. We will
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shortly be announcing the provisional local government finance settlement which will cover 2006–07 and 2007–08.
Excess Winter Deaths
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many excess winter deaths of people aged over 65 years there have been in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [29041]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Nigel Evans, dated 16 November 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many excess winter deaths of people aged over 65 years there have been in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) England in each year since 1997. (29041)
Available figures on excess winter deaths (the excess number of deaths each winter compared to the average during other months of the year) for Ribble Valley local authority, Lancashire and England are included in the table below.
The latest available figures for England are for 2004–2005. These figures for 2004–2005 are provisional and are not available for areas smaller than Government Office Regions.
(4) Excess winter deaths are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures for 1997–98 to 2003–04 are rounded to the nearest 10.
(5) The figures provided relate to the current county of Lancashire. This excludes the unitary authorities of Blackburn and Darwen, and Blackpool, created in 1998, which were part of the former county.
(6) The excess winter deaths index is calculated as the excess number of winter deaths divided by the average number of non-winter deaths, expressed as a percentage.
(7) Figures for 2004–05 are provisional and are rounded to the nearest 100.
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