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Driving Under Influence: EC Action

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) oral and (b) written representations he has received from (i) European Union and (ii) other European authorities on the harmonisation of a statutory blood alcohol level limit for drivers; [144838]

(2) what agreements have been made with European Union members on the statutory blood alcohol level limit for drivers; [145003]

(3) what steps the Government have taken to introduce a 50 milligramme blood alcohol level following the EU Transport Council in November 2006. [145024]

Dr. Ladyman: Written representations were received from the European Commission in 2001 concerning the publication of the Commission's recommendation on the maximum permitted BAL for drivers of motorised vehicles. No agreements have been made with EU members on the legal alcohol limit for drivers.

We have made clear our view in the report of the second three-year review of the road safety strategy that the legal limit cannot be considered in isolation from other drink-drive measures, but we will keep the case for a reduction in the limit under review.


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Driving: Methadone

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is permissible for an individual to drive a car while being prescribed methadone. [145074]

Dr. Ladyman: Those complying fully with a consultant supervised oral methadone maintenance programme may be licensed to drive, subject to favourable assessment and, normally, annual review. However, it is an offence to drive or attempt to drive while unfit due to any drug, illicit or prescribed.

Exhaust Emissions

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has made to representatives from the British Airlines Pilots Association on the comparative emissions from different forms of transport. [144960]

Gillian Merron: None.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Fines

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) speeding fines, (b) London congestion charge fines and (c) parking fines were incurred by the Government Car and Despatch Agency in 2006-07. [144369]

Dr. Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) paid £5898.02 in parking fines and £50 in congestion charge fines in 2006-07.

The Agency has paid no speeding fines.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Vehicles

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of miles travelled by cars in the Government Car and Despatch Agency in 2006-07. [144368]

Dr. Ladyman: It is estimated that cars in the Government Car and Despatch Agency fleet travelled approximately 2,189,000 miles in 2006-07. These figures are for the entire car fleet operated by GCDA, including its short-term hire and Green Car services.

Lorries

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ask the European Commission for a clear ruling on whether member states may make retro-reflective markings mandatory on newly registered heavy goods vehicles in the UK before the date of 10 October 2009 stipulated in the 03 series of amendments to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation 48. [144913]

Dr. Ladyman: There are no plans to do so. Work is already in hand to bring in the retro-reflective tape requirement by amending Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations in time for the internationally-agreed 10 October 2009 date.


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Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the (a) European Commission and (b) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on making retro-reflective markings mandatory on newly registered heavy goods vehicles in the UK before the date of 10 October 2009 stipulated in the 03 series of amendments to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation 48. [144914]

Dr. Ladyman: None.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to make retro-reflective markings mandatory on all newly registered heavy goods vehicles before 10 October 2009 if the European Commission rules that member states are free to do so. [145108]

Dr. Ladyman: We are working to implement the retro-reflective tape requirement via amendment to Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations by 10 October 2009 in accordance with international agreement. It is doubtful that any ruling by the European Commission would materially advance our national implementation, due to the timescales needed to make amending regulations.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average journey of (a) three and a half and (b) 12 tonne trucks on (i) motorways and (ii) A roads in England was in the last period for which figures are available. [145124]

Dr. Ladyman: Average length of trip per annum by company owned vehicles not exceeding three and a half tonnes gross plated weight is published in Table 4.1 of Road Freight Statistics 2005.

Data on the average length of haul by goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are published in Table 1.15 of Road Freight Statistics 2005.

Data on the exact weights of 3.5 tonnes and 12 tonnes are not available separately because of the small survey sample sizes.

Printed copies of the publication are available in the House Library. It is also available on the Department for Transport’s website at the following link:

Lorries: Tolls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether his Department is conducting work on the lorry road user charge; [141858]

(2) what steps the Government is taking to ensure that foreign hauliers pay for their financial and environmental impact on UK roads. [141866]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department is not conducting work on a specific lorry road user charging scheme. It was announced to the House on 5 July 2005 that the specific procurement exercise for a lorry road user charging scheme would not continue, but that we would continue to work with the industry and to ensure
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that we carry the full experience gained from the project into the wider work on road pricing for cars and lorries.

The Department is currently undertaking a feasibility study to explore ways of delivering better targeted enforcement on foreign heavy goods vehicles. This is looking at a range of potential schemes including a vignette. No decisions have been taken on this.

M1

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the carriageways of the M1 motorway between junctions 26 and 27 are next scheduled to be resurfaced. [144139]

Dr. Ladyman: The M1 motorway between junctions 26 and 27 forms part of the M1 J21—J30 widening contract 1. As part of this widening programme, all the carriageways will be re-surfaced providing a new low noise surface. Subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures and approved funding, Contract 1 work is planned to start in late 2007.

Motor Vehicles

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle defect notices were issued for each year since 1997 in respect of (a) British registered vehicles and (b) vehicles registered in other EU member states, broken down by country. [145118]

Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Service Agency (VOSA) is responsible for road safety enforcement. Inspection notices are issued to British vehicles only. Prohibitions are issued to British and international traffic. Statistics for both are reported annually in VOSA’s Effectiveness report. This is available on-line at www.vosa.gov.uk or in the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport section.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he plans to make it Government policy to extend the MOT testing regime to every other year after cars' fourth year as recommended by the Davidson review; and if he will make a statement; [145119]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on vehicle emissions as a result of extending the MOT testing regime to every other year after cars' fourth year as recommended by the Davidson review; [145120]

(3) whether he has made an assessment of the impact that lengthening the time between MOT tests will have on (a) road safety and (b) driver behaviour as referred to on page 5, paragraph 13 of the Davidson report; [145126]

(4) whether he has made an assessment of the frequency of MOT equivalent tests in other EU member states; [145127]

(5) whether he has made an assessment of the comparable rates of accidents in which vehicle defects are a contributable factor in other EU member states with an MOT equivalent regime of testing every other year; [145128]


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(6) what estimates he has (a) made and (b) evaluated of the potential increase in (i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries from a change from annual to biannual MoT tests; [145154]

(7) what estimate he has made of the financial implications for (a) MOT garages, (b) motorists and (c) manufacturers and retailers of cars and components arising from a change from annual to biannual MOT tests; and if he will make a statement. [145156]

Dr. Ladyman: I intend to issue a consultation paper shortly which will cover these issues.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the environmental impact of extending the allowed period between MOT tests to every other year after cars' fourth year as recommended by the Davidson review. [145122]

Dr. Ladyman: None.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles failed MOTs on grounds of emissions standards in each year since 1997, broken down by vehicle type. [145123]

Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for the operation of the MOT Scheme. Statistics regarding the number of vehicles that failed the MOT test on the grounds of emissions standards are published annually in VOSA’s Effectiveness Report. This is available on-line at www.vosa.gov.uk or in the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) the motor insurance industry, (b) MOT garages, (c) the police and (d) the motor car manufacturing industry on lengthening the time between MOT tests. [145130]

Dr. Ladyman: None.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many MOT tests were carried out on (a) private and (b) commercial vehicles in each year since 1997. [145132]

Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for the supervision of the MOT Scheme. Statistics regarding the number of MOT tests carried out on (a) private and (b) commercial vehicles are reported annually in VOSA’s Effectiveness Report.

This is available on-line at www.vosa.gov.uk or in the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many approved MOT garages there are. [145133]

Dr. Ladyman: The number of approved MOT garages at 19 June 2007 was 18,858.


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Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average investment on equipment made by an MOT garage to carry out MOT tests on (a) private and (b) commercial vehicles. [145135]

Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for the supervision of the MOT scheme. VOSA authorises a range of equipment for use when carrying out MOT tests. However, the equipment purchased remains a business decision for the MOT garage owner. VOSA does not hold records of the expenditure of MOT garages, therefore, no estimate is available.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much a garage is required to pay in fees in order to gain approval as a registered MOT provider; and to which agency such fees are payable. [145150]

Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for the supervision of the MOT scheme. Garages applying to the Secretary of State for authorisation to be a registered MOT provider are not required to pay a fee.

Motorcycles

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 108W, on motorcycles, what reservations were expressed by motorcycle racing and motorcycle sports organisations on the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill; and if he will place copies of the representations in the Library; [144322]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 114W, on vehicles, what reservations were expressed by rural and farming organisations on the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill; and if he will place copies of the representations in the Library. [144323]

Dr. Ladyman: Motorcycle racing and motorcycle sports organisations and rural and farming organisations have expressed reservations about the impact of the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill. Those representations were made to the Department for Transport in confidence.

Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make an assessment of the likely implications for the staffing of his Department and its agencies of the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill if enacted in its current form; [144343]

(2) if he will estimate the (a) initial cost and (b) subsequent annual costs of implementing the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill if enacted in its current form; [144345]

(3) what estimate he has made of the size of the advertising budget required to publicise the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill as it stands following Second Reading should it be passed into law; [144408]

(4) what assessment he has made of likely levels of non-compliance should the Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill be passed into law as it stands following Second Reading; [144409]


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