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24 Apr 2006 : Column 837W—continued
Seatbelts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to increase the seatbelt wearing rate to 97 per cent. over the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [65178]
Dr. Ladyman: Seatbelt messages have been included in the Department's road safety campaign for over 35 years. Having achieved very high wearing rates by good publicity and appropriate enforcement, the Department now believes it needs to be more targeted in reaching those who are most resistant to its messages. Seatbelt messages, along with other THINK! road safety issues, will in future be promoted through engagement strategies, currently under development, which will target young drivers and those who drive for work.
Enforcement of the law will remain a matter for the police who issued some 201,000 fixed penalty notices in England and Wales during 2004 for seat belt wearing offences.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support he has (a) given and (b) plans to give to seatbelt sheriff campaigns; if he will make it his policy to support such campaigns; and if he will make a statement. [64757]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has received no requests to support such campaigns. The Department does not directly support local campaigns but local authorities can fund these from their own resources. The Department runs paid publicity campaigns at a national level—radio, TV and posters—which local stakeholders can build upon if they wish. The Department also produces an extensive range of free promotional materials on road safety for use on a local level.
Speed Cameras
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex of (i) fixed speed cameras and (ii) mobile speed cameras; what criteria he uses to assess effectiveness; and if he will make a statement. [64595]
Dr. Ladyman:
The independent four-year evaluation report of the national safety camera programme, which is available in the Libraries of the House and on the DfT website, included an assessment of the effectiveness of both fixed and mobile cameras at the Essex Safety Camera Partnership level using the criteria of reductions in speed and casualties at camera sites.
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The evaluation concluded that both types of camera were effective in both respects. Fixed cameras had, on the whole, a greater effect in reducing speeding than mobile cameras, reflecting the fact that fixed cameras affect driving behaviour all the time, whereas mobile cameras operate periodically at each location.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued on the minimum number of persons that must have been killed or seriously injured at a given site before (a) a fixed speed camera and (b) a mobile speed camera is installed; and if he will make a statement. [64596]
Dr. Ladyman: The casualty criteria that must be met before a fixed or mobile speed camera is installed are set out in the Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales for 2006–07, which is available in the Library of the House, and on the Department's website. For fixed camera sites it is at least three killed or seriously injured collisions per site kilometre in the 36 months that forms the baseline period. For mobile camera sites it is at least one killed or seriously injured collision per site kilometre in the baseline period.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken into the effects of speed cameras on drink driving levels; and if he will make a statement. [64669]
Dr. Ladyman: Speed cameras are neither designed nor intended to detect those who drink and drive. The Department has not therefore undertaken any research into the effects of speed cameras on drink driving.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued on the speed at which a speed camera is triggered; and if he will make a statement. [64670]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not issued guidance on this matter. The guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers recommends motorists are not prosecuted unless they are recorded as going at 10 per cent. plus 2 mph over the posted speed limit.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much and what percentage of fines in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex for a contravention of Section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, went to (i) HM Treasury and (ii) each local speed camera partnership in each of the last three years for which information is available. [64671]
Dr. Ladyman: The Essex Safety Camera Partnership covers Essex county council, Southend-on-Sea borough council and Thurrock borough council. The following table shows the fine revenue, partnership expenditure and the resulting surplus which was passed to the HMT Consolidated Fund.
| Fine revenue (£) | Partnership expenditure (£) | Surplus (£) | Surplus (percentage) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 5,672,220 | 5,150,286 | 521,934 | 9.2 |
| 2003–04 | 5,137,740 | 5,037,293 | 100,447 | 2.0 |
| 2004–05 | 4,710,300 | 4,622,413 | 87,887 | 1.9 |
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This information relates only to activity undertaken by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership as part of the safety camera programme. More detailed information on their finances (including individual partners') is available on the Essex Partnership website at: www.essexsafetycameras.co.uk
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on road safety of speed cameras in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex between 1994 and 2006; what (i) long-term trends and (ii) seasonal variations have been recorded; and if he will make a statement. [64694]
Dr. Ladyman: The following independent evaluations of the National Safety Camera Programme undertaken for the Department include an assessment of the Essex Safety Camera Partnership area, and are available in the Library of the House, and on the Department's website:
A cost recovery system for speed and red-light cameras—two year pilot evaluation (11 February 2003);
Long-term trends and seasonal variations are recorded only at the national level.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of speed cameras on roads in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) England; and if he will make a statement. [64756]
Dr. Ladyman: The independent four-year evaluation report of the National Safety Camera Programme assessed the effectiveness of cameras at both the national programme and safety camera partnership level. The report, published on 15 December 2005, is available in the Library of the House, and on the Department's website.
Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the road accident statistics which are used to decide on the positioning of mobile speed cameras in Warwickshire were last updated. [64773]
Dr. Ladyman: The casualty criteria that must be met before a fixed or mobile speed camera is installed are set out in the Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales for 2006/07" a copy of which is in the Library of the House. For mobile camera sites it is at least one killed or seriously injured collision per site kilometre in the baseline period. The baseline period is a 36-month period, the start date of which must be consistent with the start of a programme quarter and the end date must be within 12 months of the date of operational case submission.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of fixed speed cameras located on roads in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex had a (i) 30 mph and (ii) 40 mph speed limit in each year between 1990 and 2006. [64869]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Department holds information only at a partnership level although further site by district detail will be available from the Essex Safety Camera Partnership at www.essexsafetycameras.co.uk.
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The number and percentage of fixed speed cameras on roads with a 30mph or 40mph speed limit in Essex is shown in the table.
| Number | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date established | 30 mph | 40 mph | 30 mph | 40 mph |
| 1993 | 3 | 1 | 75 | 25 |
| 1995 | 9 | 1 | 90 | 10 |
| 1996 | 17 | 1 | 94 | 6 |
| 1998 | 19 | 1 | 95 | 5 |
| 1999 | 25 | 1 | 96 | 4 |
| 2001 | 45 | 6 | 87 | 12 |
| 2002 | 48 | 8 | 84 | 14 |
| 2003 | 54 | 17 | 75 | 24 |
| 2004 | 58 | 20 | 73 | 25 |
| 2005 | 58 | 21 | 73 | 26 |
Note:
Numbers are cumulative
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of installing a speed camera in Southend-on-Sea in the last period for which figures are available; and what the figures were in each year since 2000. [64870]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department does not hold detailed cost information in relation to installing speed cameras as every site is different, equipment types vary and local conditions need to be taken into account. As a general guide, the following budgetary figure can be used:
Capital cost of providing a fixed housing, including power supply, signage and providing a camera (to go in housing) £40,000.
Detailed costs for specific sites may be available from the Essex Safety Camera Partnership who can be contacted via their website at www.essexsafetycameras.co.uk.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex for speed camera sites have been made on which a final decision on whether installation will be allowed remains pending; and if he will make a statement. [64871]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department holds information only at a partnership level. As part of its operational case for 2006–07, the Essex. Safety Camera Partnership submitted proposals for five fixed and 21 mobile speed camera sites. As all these sites were compliant with the published site selection rules, all have been approved. There are no applications for new speed camera sites in Essex where a decision on approval remains pending.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many proposals for speed cameras in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex have been (i)approved and (ii) rejected by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the proposed location was in each case. [64872]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Department holds information only at a partnership level and requires all core sites within the safety camera programme to meet the published site selection criteria. Non-compliant sites are not submitted for approval as part of the programme so the Department has not rejected any proposals for speed cameras in Essex.
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The exact location of the sites approved by the Department is available from the Essex Safety Camera Partnership. The number of sites submitted as part of their operational cases, and approved by the Department since they joined the safety camera programme in April 2000 is shown in the table:
| Operational Case Date | Fixed Number approved | Mobile Number approved | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 59 | 150 | 209 |
| 2003–04 | 21 | 38 | 59 |
| 2004–05 | 1 | 21 | 22 |
| 2006–07 | 5 | 21 | 26 |
| Total | 86 | 230 | 316 |
Note:
Essex SCP joined the safety camera programme as a 'pilot' partnership in April 2000.
All existing camera sites that existed at that time were brought into the programme.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with Essex police about changing the number of (a) fixed and (b) mobile speed cameras in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex; and if he will make a statement. [64873]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department would not expect to have discussions with Essex police about changing the number of speed camera sites in Essex because sites are selected locally as the right solution to a particular problem.
The Department did work with the Essex Safety Camera Partnership to develop its 2006–07 operational case and this was approved on 30 March 2006.
The Department's Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales for 2006–07" a copy of which is in the Library of the House requires safety camera partnerships to keep existing camera sites under review. Any further new cameras will only be approved as core sites within the safety camera programme if they meet the published site selection criteria set out in the handbook.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the types of (a) fixed and (b) mobile speed cameras used in (i) Southend, (ii) the Metropolitan police area and (iii)Essex. [64874]
Dr. Ladyman: Partnerships are not required to provide the Department with information about the types of cameras they use. All safety cameras must however be of a type approved by the Home Office.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department is undertaking into accidents around speed camera sites in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) England; and if he will make a statement. [64875]
Dr. Ladyman:
The independent four-year report into the National Safety Camera Programme, published in December 2005, which is available in the Libraries of theHouse and the Department's website, showed a significant reduction in deaths and serious injuries at camera sites.
24 Apr 2006 : Column 842W
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he (a) has made and (b) plans to make of the potential for temporary blinding of drivers driving at night by (i) forward facing and (ii) rear facing speed camera flashes; and if he will make a statement. [64876]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not assessed the effect of camera flashes at night and have no plans to do so. No forward or rear-facing camera is type approved until it has undergone rigorous testing against set specifications that ensures its reliability and safety. The peak intensity and duration of the flash are less than levels which are encountered from other sources when driving at night.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether further speed cameras are planned for each side of the (a) A127 and (b) A13 between the M25 and Southend; and if he will make a statement. [64877]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department is not currently aware of any further speed cameras planned for these roads. Any further speed cameras in the future will be proposed by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership and will only be approved as core sites within the safety camera programme if they meet the published site selection criteria.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether mobile speed cameras are planned for each side of the (a) A127 and (b) A13 between the M25 and Southend; and if he will make a statement. [64878]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department is not currently aware of any new planned mobile speed cameras for these roads. Any planned mobile speed cameras in the future will be proposed by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership and will only be approved as core sites within the safety camera programme if they meet the published site selection criteria.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the installation of speed cameras in Essex. [65181]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not received any representations on the installation of speed cameras in Essex.
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