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21 Nov 2006 : Column 39W—continued
Consultees, including representatives from the ADI industry, were broadly in favour of the proposal. The HPT was introduced as a requirement for existing ADIs as a result in 2005.
Freight Transport
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential for retailers and other companies to make greater use of inland waterway and coastal freight transport in their supply chain. [101454]
Dr. Ladyman: In addition to the work done by the Freight Study Group on inland waterways in England and Wales in 2002; the Department has recently funded a research project, to be undertaken by Sea and Water, to review the existing research on the potential for water freight movements in the UK and assess the need for further research. We anticipate the results in the near future.
Future of Air Transport White Paper
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) non-departmental public bodies on the scope and content of the progress report on the Future of Air Transport White Paper. [101771]
Gillian Merron: Hon. Members have continued to represent their constituents' views in relation to the Future of Air Transport White Paper. In addition, the Government continue to engage with a range of key stakeholders including non-departmental bodies on the implementation of the White Paper.
The Department for Transport expects to publish a progress report on the Air Transport White Paper by the end of 2006.
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the progress report on the Future of Air Transport will be published. [101774]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport expects to publish a Progress Report on the policies and proposals set out in the Air Transport White Paper by the end of 2006.
Medical Licensing Scheme
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the results of the review of the medical licensing scheme commissioned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in late 2004. [100637]
Dr. Ladyman: The results of the independent review commissioned in 2005 were announced in February 2006. The Department will undertake a full public consultation on the health and driver licensing system in Great Britain early in 2007. The full report from the independent review will be published at that time.
Railway Services
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with First Great Western on the time tabling of services on the Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington line. [101456]
Mr. Tom Harris: I have had no discussions with First Great Western on the timetabling of services on the Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington line. Detailed timetabling of services is a matter is for the First Great Western.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to discuss the re-doubling of the line between Kemble and Swindon with (a) Network Rail, (b) First Great Western and (c) Gloucestershire county council. [101457]
Mr. Tom Harris: I have no immediate plans to meet Network Rail, or other stakeholders, over plans to re-double the railway line between Swindon and Kemble. This is a matter for Network Rail to pursue. The company has recently confirmed a proposal to improve this line and is currently consulting with the railway industry on the matter.
Road Safety Campaigns
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the website Arrive Alive. [100607]
Dr. Ladyman: The primary function of the Arrive Alive website www.arrivealive.info is to provide information and to promote the Arrive Alive presentations. Since the focus is on the presentations, we have not yet carried out a full evaluation of the website’s effectiveness.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on teenagers of website, www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk. [100608]
Dr. Ladyman: The THINK! website is primarily a tool for THINK! stakeholders, for example, Road Safety Officers, the police, teachers and health authorities. Its main purpose is to inform stakeholders about national marketing activities and provide them with information and materials, enabling them to market THINK! regionally.
The site is not designed for teenagers. We target them through advertising and PR. Our latest teen pedestrian campaign launched in August last year featured a commercial called “Cameraphone,” the first to be shot through a mobile phone camera. The commercial was placed on teen websites and then aired on television and later in cinema. It was supported by 6-sheet posters in the vicinity of secondary schools.
Teens found the commercial engaging. 97 per cent. said it was easy to understand; 95 per cent. said it made them think again about being careful on the roads and 91 per cent. thought it relevant as a similar accident
could happen to them. The number of teenagers killed or seriously injured on our roads continues to fall.
The THINK! campaign’s communication work with teenagers has just won a National Business award in recognition of our use of insight, innovation and effectiveness.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) motoring organisations and (b) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents on ways to increase the road safety awareness of newly qualified drivers below the age of 21 years. [100609]
Dr. Ladyman: Department for Transport officials have had bi-lateral and multi-lateral meetings with motoring organisations and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents as part of the second three year review of the Road Safety Strategy. The review will identify those aspects of road safety which represent the greatest challenges and opportunities for reducing casualties over the next few years. Young drivers are a key consideration of the review. These organisations are also members of the Road Safety Advisory Panel which meets in December. The review will be on the agenda and I plan to chair the meeting.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hits his Department’s website www.hedgehogs.gov.uk has received in each month since it was launched; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the website on improving road safety for children. [100612]
Dr. Ladyman: Hits to www.hedgehogs.gov.uk are set out in the following table. The hedgehogs website is designed to engage children and promote wider awareness of road safety. It is however but one channel within our wider suite of communication activities taken forward as part of the THINK! child road safety campaign. We use a broad mix of TV, cinema and online advertising, PR, partnership marketing and education materials to communicate child road safety messages.
We measure our activity through research tracking and ultimately through the number of children who are killed or seriously injured on our roads. Our recent child tracking research showed high awareness of the campaign with eight out of 10 children being aware of our advertising. Children were also very positive about the campaign and there is a clear correlation between traffic to the website and online marketing activity.
The increase in hits and visits to the website in March 2006 is a reflection of increased online advertising activity that month.
The Government have set a demanding target to reduce the number of children aged under 16 killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads by 50 per cent. by 2010, using the average for 1994-98 as the baseline. We are on course to exceed this target. The THINK! road safety campaign is an important component of our strategy to reduce deaths and injuries.
| Hits (total number of successful requests for pages) | Visitors (number of distinct hosts served) | |
Speed Limits
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce speed limits on rural roads in villages. [100532]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport published new guidance on setting local speed limits on 8 August 2006. This asks local traffic authorities to review speed limits on their A and B roads, and implement any necessary changes by 2011.
The guidance encourages lower speed limits where the evidence or characteristics of the road warrant this. Equally local traffic authorities should consider increasing limits if it is warranted and can be done safely.
The Department acknowledges that rural settlements deserve the same protection from vehicle speeds in urban areas. It is therefore Government policy that, where appropriate, villages should be subject to 30 mph speed limits, and this was further emphasised in the Department’s new guidance on setting local speed limits.
Local traffic authorities remain best placed to decide whether 30 mph is an appropriate speed limit based upon local needs and requirements.
Travel Information
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make real time travel information available to road users. [100553]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency already offers real time traffic information through message signs, telephone and the web. It is improving these services and developing new services such as dedicated traffic and travel radio. These services and future plans are provided in its publication “Changing the customer experience through information”, which is on the agency's website. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.
A wide range of real time travel information, including information relevant to drivers in Wales, Scotland and London, is available from the Transport Direct website at. www.transportdirect.info.
VED Renewal Notices
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken (a) to ensure that vehicle excise duty renewal (VED) notices (V11s) are sent out correctly to the registered keeper of the vehicle and to no one else and (b) to follow up the VED renewal notices that do not elicit a response. [100874]
Dr. Ladyman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) undertakes a monthly scan of the vehicle register to identify vehicles that are due to be licensed. Renewal notices are despatched to the registered keeper of the vehicle. As the form is printed six to eight weeks in advance, a renewal may be sent to a customer who has recently notified disposal of a vehicle. Following the initial print run, DVLA makes further checks of the vehicle register to identify records that may have changed in the interim period and issues renewal notices if required.
The onus is on the customer to ensure that their vehicle is correctly licensed at all times. If customers fail to re-license or declare a statutory off road notice, enforcement action may be taken.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have been taken out against individuals for non-renewal of a vehicle excise duty off-road notice when the defence has been non-receipt of the renewal notice; and how many of these prosecutions have been successful. [100875]
Dr. Ladyman: Since the introduction of continuous registration in 2004, 3.5 million late licence penalty letters have been issued. Over 10,000 letters have been issued to those who claim not to have received a reminder notice and each of these letters state that payment is still due. This equates to 0.3 per cent. of all cases.
Once a letter such as this has been sent the case will be selected for prosecution in the same way as any other.
I am not aware of any cases where this defence has resulted in a case being found against the agency.
Constitutional Affairs
Wildlife Crime
24. Mrs. Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what training has been provided to magistrates dealing with cases of wildlife crime. [100537]
Bridget Prentice: The training of magistrates is organised and delivered locally. Information on the provision of wildlife crime training to magistrates is not currently held centrally. Legal advisers provide magistrates with advice on any relevant case law in relation to wildlife crime and appropriate sentencing.
Carter Review
25. Angela Watkinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received from family lawyers concerning the Carter review. [100538]
Vera Baird: We have received 1,045 responses to the proposals regarding family work in the consultation paper “Legal Aid: a sustainable future”. I have attended some 25 public meetings on the proposals throughout the country to hear practitioners' views. The Government's response should be published within the next couple of weeks.
32. Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received from family lawyers on the Carter review. [100545]
Vera Baird: We have received 1,045 responses to the proposals regarding family work in the consultation paper “Legal Aid: a sustainable future.” I have attended some 25 public meetings on the proposals throughout the country to hear practitioners’ views. The Government’s response should be published within the next couple of weeks.
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