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24 July 2006 : Column 731W—continued

Ministerial answers should reflect the terms of the questions asked.

As I have already indicated to the House, I have raised the answering of parliamentary questions directly with ministerial colleagues. This covered the issue of content as well as the issue of timeliness.

Anne Main: To ask the Leader of the House if he will ask the Modernisation Committee to examine the degree to which the quality of replies to parliamentary questions enables Ministers to be held accountable by hon. Members. [88280]


24 July 2006 : Column 732W

Mr. Straw: I have no plans to do so. I understand that the Procedure Committee may be considering an inquiry into parliamentary questions later this year. The Public Administration Select Committee (and its predecessor the Public Service Committee) has conducted regular inquiries since 1995-96 into aspects of the answers to parliamentary questions.

I also refer the hon. Member to the adjournment debate on written parliamentary questions of 28 June 2006, Official Report, columns 344-60, in which the role of parliamentary questions in contributing to ministerial accountability was discussed, including the pressure being placed on the system by the quantity of questions being tabled.

Transport

A13

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for improving the A13; what improvements were made to the A13 between Basildon and Southend-on-Sea during 2005; and if he will make a statement. [87256]

Dr. Ladyman: The A13 is the responsibility of the Secretary of State only between its junctions with the A1306 and A1089. We have no plans at present for improvements to this section of road. The remainder of the A13 is the responsibility of Southend on Sea borough council and Essex county council. Improvements to these sections of the road are therefore matters for these authorities. In his announcement of 6 July about Regional Funding Allocations, the Secretary of State approved entry into the programme of a scheme promoted by Essex county council for the improvement of the junction of the A13 with the A130 at Sadler’s Farm.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) minor and (b) serious accidents occurred on the A13 between the A405 and the M25 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [87258]

Dr. Ladyman: I presume the hon. Member means the A406. The number of serious and slight personal injury road accidents reported to the police on the A13 between the A406 and the M25 from 1996 to 2005 is given in the table.

Accidents occurring on A13 between A406 and M25:1996-2005
Serious Slight

1996

41

189

1997

52

194

1998

33

188

1999

12

100

2000

27

153

2001

22

119

2002

17

107

2003

30

91

2004

28

122

2005

12

92


24 July 2006 : Column 733W

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on properties purchased by the Highways Agency under compulsory purchase orders along the proposed A21 upgrade route. [86739]

Dr. Ladyman: No properties on this route have been compulsory purchased.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental consequences of the proposed A21 upgrade. [87925]

Dr. Ladyman: The environmental consequences of the proposed A21 upgrade schemes are being assessed in accordance with the prescribed methodology set out in Volume 11 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with residents in East Sussex regarding the proposed A21 upgrade. [87926]

Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency has had discussions with residents in East Sussex, regarding the proposed A21 upgrade, as part of public consultation undertaken from November 2002 onwards.

Discussions will continue with individuals and representative and statutory bodies on the issues raised by the proposals.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role (a) Rother district council and (b) East Sussex county council have played in the proposed A21 upgrade. [87929]

Dr. Ladyman: Rother district council and East Sussex county council have participated in the A21 upgrade consultation processes that have taken place both prior to and following the publication of the Access to Hastings Multi Modal Study.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency has spent on consultation fees while assessing the proposed A21 upgrade. [87930]

Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency spent £8,181.44 (ex-VAT) on the A21 upgrade consultation process that took place following the Access to Hastings Multi Modal Study.

These costs were incurred between April 2002 and February 2005 prior to Preferred Route announcements for the Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst improvement and the Flimwell to Robertsbridge improvement.

Accident Statistics

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal traffic accidents there were in each London borough in each year since 1997. [87498]


24 July 2006 : Column 734W

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been (a) killed and (b) injured by vehicles in each of the last 10 years. [87123]

Dr. Ladyman: The number of pedestrians killed in personal injury road accidents reported to the police for the years up to 2004 is published in Table 2 of Road Casualties Great Britain: 2004. Pedestrian fatalities for 2005 are published in Table 1 of Road Casualties Great Britain: Main Results: 2005.

The number of pedestrian injured in personal injury road accidents reported to the police over the last 10 years up to 2004 can be obtained from the in Table 5c of Road Casualties Great Britain: 2004 and Road Casualties Great Britain: 2002. The number of pedestrians injured in 2005 can be obtained from Table 1 of Road Casualties Great Britain: Main Results: 2005.

Copies of these publications are in the Library.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents occurred on or near pedestrian crossings in each year since 1997; and how many of these accidents involved the (a) death and (b) injury of pedestrians. [87124]

Dr. Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police that occurred on or within 50 m of a pedestrian crossing facility, and those that involved a pedestrian death or injury are given in the table.

Accidents on or within 50 m of a pedestrian crossing facility: 1997-2005
All accidents Accidents involving pedestrian death Accidents involving pedestrian injury

1997

34,881

247

10,889

1998

35,679

229

11,007

1999

35,455

225

10,706

2000

34,835

213

10,433

2001

33,979

195

10,188

2002

33,999

206

9,948

2003

33,018

232

9,582

2004

30,824

181

9,171

2005

29,610

183

8,844


Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hit-and-run incidents there have been in each London borough in each of the last five years. [86772]

Dr. Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police which involved one or more hit and run drivers or riders for the years 2001-05, in each London borough is given in the table.


24 July 2006 : Column 735W
Number of personal injury accidents involving one or more hit and run drivers/riders by London borough: 2001-05
Number of accidents
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Barking

65

83

78

89

81

Barnet

169

217

191

178

153

Bexley

86

86

81

65

70

Brent

209

234

199

195

142

Bromley

102

153

95

97

106

Camden

255

237

212

161

103

City of London

72

53

35

51

33

Croydon

187

193

183

177

158

Ealing

163

225

217

175

169

Enfield

183

253

225

215

146

Greenwich

126

189

153

119

129

Hackney

265

292

235

224

187

Hammersmith

116

142

136

111

124

Haringey

232

252

237

176

120

Harrow

75

83

73

76

63

Havering

72

93

103

95

59

Hillingdon

113

131

130

101

91

Hounslow

186

154

184

137

105

Islington

244

252

195

143

114

Kensington and Chelsea

83

124

108

75

88

Kingston upon Thames

48

41

34

42

37

Lambeth

297

304

305

203

161

Lewisham

201

206

202

160

136

Merton

72

88

88

53

52

Newham

249

254

202

143

195

Redbridge

194

166

215

162

157

Richmond upon Thames

91

69

69

54

45

Southwark

293

294

271

170

171

Sutton

67

49

56

46

42

Tower Hamlets

228

209

208

164

151

Waltham Forest

177

184

195

161

157

Wandsworth

134

201

141

137

106

Westminster

326

335

317

231

200

Source:
Transport for London

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