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22 Nov 2005 : Column 1858W—continued
Ports Policy
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Ministers expect (a) to complete their considerations on individual applications for major port developments and (b) announce their decisions. [30432]
Dr. Ladyman: Ministers announced in July 2005 that they were minded to approve the proposal for the London Gateway port development at Shellhaven, subject to clarification of a number of issues. The outcome of our consideration of these issues will be announced in due course. The Department has received reports of public inquiries into proposed ports developments at Bathside Bay, Harwich, and at Felixstowe South. These are under consideration, and announcements will be made as soon as possible.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what data sets will be used to measure progress against the need to tackle the significantly higher incidence of road accidents, deaths and injuries in disadvantaged communities as required in 2004 public service agreement target number 5. [29804]
Dr. Ladyman:
Performance against the target is measured using the police data on all reported road accidents that involve human injury. The measure used will be the percentage reduction in the number of road
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deaths and injuries for the 88 local councils that are eligible to receive Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF), compared to that for England as a whole.
The baseline is the average for the period 1999 to 2001, and the target will be judged against 2005 casualty data.
Railways
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on plans for next-generation trains. [22842]
Derek Twigg: The next generation of trains must aim for improved energy efficiency and reliability, without compromising safety and comfort. The new trains just ordered for high speed commuter services into Kent will bring some of the technologies used successfully in Japan. The high speed trains on Great Western, East Coast and Midland lines will need replacing within the next 10–15 years, and the specification for these is being developed. Beyond that, a large number of diesel and electric trains for regional and local services all built in the late 1980s will need replacing by the mid 2020s.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total costs have been incurred by the Government and Government agencies in the franchising and tendering of passenger rail services since April 2004. [29262]
Derek Twigg: Costs incurred in the specification and tendering of passenger franchise services since April 2004 are £14.4 million.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail carriages on average were attached to a passenger train in the United Kingdom in each year between 1994 and 2004, broken down by (a) region and (b) train operating company where applicable. [29035]
Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally by the Department and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train warranties expired in each year between 1994 and 2004; how many train warranties will expire in each year between 2005 and 2010; and if he will make a statement. [29036]
Derek Twigg: Warranties on new trains cover a wide range of systems and components, often with differing warranty periods. It is not therefore possible to say simply that the warranty on a particular train expires on a specific date.
Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation
Mr. Anthony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that the production of ethanol to meet obligations under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (a) is environmentally friendly, (b) is sustainable and (c) does not lead to significant carbon dioxide output; and if he will make a statement; [30363]
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(2) what estimate he has made of the quantity of feedstock used in the production of ethanol to meet obligations under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation which is (a) imported into the United Kingdom and (b) grown in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement; [30364]
(3) what estimate he has made of the change in UK carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. [30365]
Dr. Ladyman: As set out in the Secretary of State's Written Statement of 10 November, we anticipate that the Obligation will deliver around one million tonnes of carbon saving per annum once it reaches 5 per cent. of all transport fuels. We are developing carbon and sustainability assurance schemes and companies will be required, to report on the sustainability and carbon savings associated with the fuels they have used to fulfil their requirements under the Obligation.
We anticipate that the feedstocks for the biofuels will come from both the UK and abroad. The relative proportions will depend on a range of factors including international supply and demand and support systems in other countries. The UK currently exports around three million tonnes of wheat per annum, which, if it were processed into bioethanol, could make up 5 per cent. of all petrol sales.
Analysis on the anticipated costs, benefits, risks and opportunities associated with an obligation are set out in a detailed feasibility study and regulatory impact assessment. These are both available in the House Library and via the Department for Transport's website.
Road Accidents
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated total cost of road accidents in England was in each year between 1994 and 2004. [30372]
Dr. Ladyman: While the Department for Transport does not hold information on actual costs incurred as the result of road accidents, it does estimate the value of prevention of road accidents in its annually published Highways Economics Note No.1". Estimates for the total value of prevention of all road accidents 1994 to 2004 are as follows:
| Estimated total cost (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 18,004 |
| 2003 | 18,094 |
| 2002 | 17,760 |
| 2001 | 17,420 |
| 2000 | 16,959 |
| 1999 | 16,280 |
| 1998 | 15,960 |
| 1997 | 14,814 |
| 1996 | 13,920 |
| 1995 | 13,280 |
| 1994 | 13,030 |
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the average cost to public funds of (a) a non-fatal and (b) a fatal road traffic accident. [30399]
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Dr. Ladyman: The values used to estimate the benefits of the prevention of road accidents are set out in the Highways Economic Note No. 1: 2002 Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties" which can be found on the DfT website at:
The average values, based on 2002 casualty data, were (a) serious injury £168,260 and slight injury £16,750 and (b) fatal £1,447,490. These amounts are the values to be used in the appraisal of road traffic schemes. They take account of lost output (which includes any non-wage payments paid by the employer), medical and ambulance costs, human costs based on willingness to pay values representing pain, grief and suffering, the costs of policing, insurance and administrative costs and damage to property.
Included within these vales are the costs to public funds for medical, ambulance and police costs. In 2002 prices the average cost was for fatal £6,860, serious £11,900 and slight £1,020. Some element of the lost output cost would also be considered as a cost to public funds. In 2002 prices the average costs were £479,750, £19,520 and £2,320 for fatal, serious and slight accidents respectively.
Up-rating these figures using 2004 casualty data to 2004 prices gives average values for the prevention of accidents as (a) serious injury £184,269 and slight injury £18,496 and (b) fatal £1,573,217. The average cost in 2004 prices of the lost output element of accident prevention costs were for fatal £522,639, serious £21,379 and slight £2,550. The average medical, ambulance and police costs in 2004 prices were for fatal £7,076, serious £13,025 and slight £1,131.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many (a) road accidents and (b) fatal road accidents (i) speed and (ii) drink driving was (A) the leading contributory factor and (B) a contributory factor in each year between 1994 and 2004. [30446]
Dr. Ladyman:
Prior to 2005, information regarding contributory factors to accidents was not routinely collected as part of the accident report process. However under a pilot scheme, 15 police forces have collected data on contributory factors to accidents from 1999 onwards allowing an estimate of the presence of these
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factors in accidents Great Britain to be made. Up to four contributory factors can be assigned to an accident but are given equal merit, and as such we do not have data on leading contributory factors to accidents. The table shows the estimated proportion of fatal and all accidents where excessive speed was deemed to be a contributory factor, based on accidents occurring in the 15 police force areas.
(8) Estimates are based on data from the pilot contributory factors scheme.
The estimates for the number of fatal and all personal injury road accidents involving illegal alcohol levels for 1999–2004 are given in the table. The estimates for 2004 are provisional.
| Fatal accidents | All accidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 400 | 11,050 |
| 2000 | 450 | 11,800 |
| 2001 | 470 | 12,270 |
| 2002 | 480 | 13,150 |
| 2003 | 500 | 12,400 |
| 2004(9) | 530 | 11,220 |
(9) Provisional data. The sample of fatality data from Coroners for 2003 has now been finalised but 2004 estimates are based on a reduced sample of coroners' returns and may be biased. They remain provisional until more complete information for 2004 is available.
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