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3 July 2006 : Column 738W—continued
Road Traffic Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Road Traffic Act 1988; and what statutory instruments have been made under this Act. [81247]
Dr. Ladyman: The main purpose of the Road Traffic Act 1988 was to consolidate and replace earlier road traffic legislation in the overall interest of improving road safety. As amended, it remains the principal statute on this area of the law, regulating a wide range of road traffic issues, including driving standards, the construction and use of vehicles and driver licensing and instruction.
A considerable number of statutory instruments have been made under the Act since it came into force and a complete list could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as I explained in my answer to the hon. Member on 12 May 2006 Official Report, columns 652-53W, a consolidated version of the Act, published by Butterworths, is available online
to Members of this House. This includes details of all the secondary legislation made under each provision of the Act.
Seat Belts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) lives which will be saved and (b) injuries which will be reduced by the enactment of the Draft Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations 2006; when these regulations will be brought into force; what recent discussions he has had with (i) motoring organisations and (ii) the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transportation Safety on the wearing of seat belts; and if he will make a statement. [81248]
Dr. Ladyman: An estimate of the reduction of casualties which may be achieved by these regulations is given in the regulatory impact assessment available on-line at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_ rdsafety_611256.hcsp .
The draft regulations were laid before Parliament on 14 June with a date for coming into effect of 18 September 2006. Motoring organisations and the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transportation Safety responded to the public consultation on the proposed changes carried out in 2005. A summary of the responses is available on line at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_611255-03.hcsp#P71_12154.
Sleepy Drivers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many road accidents were caused (a) directly and (b) indirectly as a result of the driver of a motor vehicle driving (i) while feeling drowsy and (ii) falling asleep while driving in each year since 1996, broken down by (A) age group, (B) sex and (C) region; [81259]
(2) what research his Department (a) has undertaken, (b) plans to undertake and (c) has evaluated into (i) the (A) age and (B) number of (1) males and (2) females who drive while feeling drowsy, (ii) the frequency of driving while drowsy and (iii) the number of road accidents caused because the driver was drowsy; and if he will make a statement; [81260]
(3) what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to encourage persons aged 17 to 24 years of the dangers of driving while feeling drowsy; and if he will make a statement. [81261]
Dr. Ladyman:
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 153W, to the hon. Member for South Swindon (Anne Snelgrove). The Department's research reports are published at www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_ rdsafety/documents/divisionhomepage/032513.hcsp. Research Reports 21, 22 and 52 are relevant to driver
sleepiness and report 43 is relevant to accident contributory factors. Research into motorcycle rider fatigue and accident risk is ongoing. The Department's publicity programme on driver tiredness is aimed at drivers of all ages.
Special Advisers
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role is played by special advisers in answering parliamentary questions asked of his Department. [80650]
Gillian Merron: Special advisers conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Birds
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1526W, on birds, whether Essex county council has concluded its investigation into Pegasus Birds; and if he will make a statement. [79488]
Mr. Bradshaw: The investigation was completed in April 2006. The investigating officer's report concluded that, despite procedural irregularities at the facility, the quarantine procedures for imported birds worked, and avian influenza was successfully detected. Following recommendations from the investigation, both the director and manager of Pegasus Birds received written cautions.
Both DEFRA and Essex Trading Standards learnt from the experience. DEFRA commissioned an independent review of avian quarantine for captive birds, which was published on 15 December 2005. The Government response to the review is available on the DEFRA website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/avianquarantine/gov-strategy/index.htm.
Climate Change
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many young ambassadors for climate change have been identified under the Climate Change Communication Initiative; [80709]
(2) how much has been spent under the Climate Change Communication Initiative, broken down by project. [80710]
Ian Pearson: Nine champions have been chosen in the Climate Change Champions Competition 2006, one from each region in England.
In February 2005, funding of £12 million for the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 was announced for the
Climate Change Communication Initiative, with £6 million of that being made available for Climate Challenge Fund projects. This month, the Government announced that awards would be made to 53 projects under the fund (totalling £2.6 million in 2006-07 and
£2.2 million in 2007-08). A breakdown is provided in the following table. A number of further projects are currently under discussion. More information is available at: www.climatechange.gov.uk.
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