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24 May 2007 : Column 1468W—continued
The percentages are estimated by dividing the total number of reported casualties in each age group by the GB population estimate for 2005. Casualties will be counted more than once if they are in more than one accident.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) minor road traffic accidents were recorded in each year since 1997. [139682]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents by severity for each year since 1997 is given in the table.
| Number of accidents by severity, GB: 1997-2005 | ||||
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | All severities | |
Roads: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) businesses in the London borough of Bexley on road pricing. [139554]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has received a considerable number of representations about road pricing. Many of these were by e-mail, and did not give the sender’s geographical address.
Roads: Horses
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents were reported involving (a) horses and (b) horse riders in each of the last three years. [139290]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one ridden horse in each of the last three years for which information is available, is given in the table.
| Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one ridden horse, GB: 2003-05 | |
| Number of accidents | |
Reported personal injury road accidents involving horses without riders are not separately identifiable.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cost increases he approved for Government-funded road schemes in the Local Transport Plans programme in each year since 2000. [138904]
Gillian Merron: Details of local authority major Road schemes that have had cost increases approved between 2000 and July 2006 are available in Appendix Three of the National Audit Office report—Department for Transport: Estimating and Monitoring the Costs of Building Roads in England—published on 15 March 2007. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the following website link:
Since July 2006, we have also approved cost increases on the following local major road schemes:
Rugby Western Relief Road
Owen Street Level Crossing Relief Road
Sheffield Northern Inner Relief Road
Sunderland Southern Radial Route
Glasshoughton Coalfields Link Road
Brierley Hill Access Network
M4 Junction 11/Mereoak Roundabout
Hemsworth to A1 Link Road
A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link Road
Taunton Third Way and Northern Inner Distributor Road
Carlisle Northern Development Route.
Roads: Safety
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations have been received by his Department from local authorities for road safety improvements (a) in Elkesley village, (b) on the A57 in Worksop and (c) on the A620 in Bassetlaw. [138828]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department is not aware that it has any current road safety improvement representations from local authorities in respect of Elkesley village, the A57 Worksop or the A620 Bassetlaw. The Highways Agency continues its work to develop improvements for access to Elkesley village and is in regular touch with the Local Highway Authority on this matter.
Transport
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips as calculated by the National Travel Survey was by (i) car driver, (ii) car passenger, (iii) bus passenger, (iv) pedestrian and (v) other modes of transport user, broken down by (A) reasons for journey, (B) sex and (C) age, in the latest three-year period for which results are available. [138890]
Gillian Merron: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Transport: Costs
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus and (c) train since 1997. [138885]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 March 2007, Official Report, column 1701W.
Transport: North East Region
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the transport infrastructure of the (a) north-east region, (b) Tees Valley sub-region and (c) Hartlepool constituency for the purpose of (i) facilitating economic growth, (ii) reducing environmental damage and (iii) widening access to services and opportunities to the population. [138655]
Gillian Merron: On 6 July 2006 the Secretary of State confirmed 16 major road and public transport schemes in the north-east that we expected to fund from regional funding allocations (RFA) between 2006-07 and 2008-09. Three of them are located in the Tees Valley.
Also included was an indicative list of three schemes that can be progressed for delivery in the remaining RFA years, from 2009-10 to 2015-16. Elements of the Tees Valley bus network scheme are located in Hartlepool. Funding will, of course, be subject to schemes securing all necessary statutory powers, demonstrating sufficient value for money, and being supported by a satisfactory business case.
Decision letters for local transport plans covering the period 2007 to 2011 were issued last December. The north-east authorities were awarded a total of £141.382 million to fund capital improvements. The proportion allocated to the Tees Valley authorities is £32.079 million, including £4.459 million to Hartlepool borough council.
In addition, the Government are supporting both Durham county council (£400,000) and the Tyne and Wear authorities (£1.7 million) with pump-priming funding to support the development of Transport Innovation Fund (TIP) packages that address local congestion problems by combining demand management, including road pricing, with better public transport.
Also, the Department has regular discussions with the Highways Agency about all proposed improvement schemes for the A1 in the north-east and the Secretary of State has recently agreed that they should continue the development work on the A1 Newcastle/Gateshead western bypass scheme.
All of the transport initiatives are being developed with a view to delivering the Government’s shared agenda of tackling congestion, delivering improved accessibility, providing safer roads and better air quality, as well as tackling other quality of life issues. Together, these objectives would contribute to facilitating economic growth, reducing environmental damage and widening access to services and opportunities to the population.
Wolverton Station: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why a deadline has been set on when the grant of £400,000 for the upgrade of Wolverton station must be spent. [138610]
Mr. Tom Harris: The deadline for the use of grants, provided under the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), was one of the conditions made clear at the start of the process, taking account of the overall availability of Government support, in each financial year, for transport related projects.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the recent reduction in funding for the upgrade of station facilities at Wolverton station will have on the project. [138613]
Mr. Tom Harris: There has been no reduction in funding. The allocation of funding within the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) grant was matter for Milton Keynes council to determine in conjunction with Network Rail.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons were for the reduction in funds for the planned upgrade of Wolverton station. [138620]
Mr. Tom Harris: There has been no reduction in funding. The allocation of funds awarded under a bid, from the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), for Milton Keynes Central and Wolverton stations was the responsibility of Milton Keynes council.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Drugs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking to stop the production of heroin in Afghanistan. [138241]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams) on 23 April 2007, Official Report, column 908W.
Australia: Entry Clearances
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Australian and (b) New Zealand nationals successfully applied for UK tourist visas in each of the last five years. [138174]
Dr. Howells: Australian and New Zealand nationals do not need visas to enter the UK as visitors.
BBC External Services
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money the BBC World Service spent on services in each language in which it broadcasts (a) from her Department's precept and (b) in total in each of the last three financial years. [139147]
Mr. Hoon: BBC World Service (BBCWS) analysis of its spending for each language service in financial year (FY) 2006-07 is set out below. Foreign and Commonwealth Office grant-in-aid funds all BBCWS language services. BBCWS is unable to present comparable data for the previous years requested by the hon. Member because of changes in accounting procedures, specifically the way its central costs are allocated. To provide figures that are both meaningful and comparable would require a comprehensive reworking of its financial information for previous years. This would incur disproportionate cost.
| BBCWS analysis of operating grant-in-aid 2006-07 | |
| £ million | |
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