| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Nov 2008 : Column 957W—continued
There is no information on how many of these cases involved drivers who should not have had a licence due to their health or eyesight.
We are currently reviewing the procedures by which health issues are addressed in the driver licensing system. However, all drivers have a duty to ensure they are fit to drive before doing so.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to suspend the licences of drivers suspected of causing death or serious injury due to health or eyesight problems until the completion of inquiries into or prosecution of such drivers. [233148]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Where DVLA receives sufficient evidence of a relevant disability the driving licence can be revoked immediately.
There are procedures in place for police forces to inform DVLA where they suspect that a driver is: suffering from a medical condition affecting their fitness to drive. This is not dependent on whether or not a decision is made to prosecute the driver for any related road traffic offence. Where sufficient evidence is not provided immediately, an investigation will be conducted and, if the individual is assessed as unfit to drive, the licence is revoked. There are currently no proposals to change this approach.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a condition of holding a driving licence that a person consents to his medical records being released to the police in the event of an accident involving the licence-holder resulting in serious injury or fatality; and if he will make a statement. [233167]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The investigation of such accidents is a matter for the police. The introduction of such a condition on the licence is not currently judged to be either proportionate or appropriate.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require medical professionals to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when a person has a medical condition affecting a person’s ability to drive. [233168]
Jim Fitzpatrick: While there is no legal obligation on doctors to notify DVLA, they do have a duty of care, not only to their patient but also to the general public. On this basis, they do have an obligation to report to DVLA instances where they consider a patient unfit to drive.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidelines to the effect that doctors should inform DVLA about unfit patients who they have advised should notify DVLA, but have failed to act on that advice.
There is no proposal to change this position.
Greater Manchester
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department and its agencies has given to the Manchester-based organisations (a) Transport Pool and (b) the Community Network for Manchester in the last 24 months. [233234]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport and its agencies do not directly fund either of the two organisations in question. Community Network for Manchester has received Government funding through Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Working Neighbourhoods Fund. This funding has been provided through Manchester city council.
Heathrow Airport: Construction
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to meet hon. Members representing constituencies which would be affected by Heathrow expansion before announcing a decision on the matter; and if he will make a statement. [234729]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 10 November 2008]: Now that the period for public consultation has closed, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to enter into further discussion on Heathrow matters with individual Members. Today's debate will provide a further opportunity for all hon. Members to put on record their views and those of their constituents.
Heathrow Airport: Public Participation
Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations were consulted on the adding capacity at Heathrow equalities impact assessment consultation; how the consultation was publicised in West London; and whether the Department held any public meetings or public exhibitions as part of the consultation process. [232221]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 4 November 2008]: The adding capacity at Heathrow equalities impact assessment consultation document was published on the Department’s website along with foreign language translations of the executive summary detailing how to respond, and was the subject of a press release.
Around 300 organisations were contacted directly by letter drawing attention to the consultation document and alerting them to the intention to hold discussions with stakeholders. These included among others, local authorities, charities and voluntary sector organisations.
A selected number of organisations identified by our independent consultants representing members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, age and disability sectors were also invited to take part in some additional meetings to discuss the issues. Three of these meetings were held in the local community. No public exhibitions were held.
Monorails
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department has on the number and location of monorails in use in England; and if he will make a statement. [233964]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information on monorail systems.
Railways: Construction
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to publish a National Policy Statement within the framework envisaged by the Planning Bill on high speed rail. [234327]
Paul Clark: In due course, we intend to publish a National Policy Statement on National Networks, which will include our policy for the development of the national rail network.
Railways: Overcrowding
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will gather information on levels of overcrowding on trains in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England. [231925]
Paul Clark: The information requested is currently published annually in aggregated form by the Office of Rail Regulation within its “National Rail Trends Yearbook” and is available on the ORR website. The latest published data relate to passenger counts carried out by train operators in autumn 2006.
Railways: Standards
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the minimum statutory space requirement for each rail passenger is; and what estimate his Department has made of how often these space requirements are met. [232023]
Paul Clark: Rail statistics are published by the Office of Rail Regulation. The latest data available are for 2006 and are published in the National Rail Trends Year Book for 2006-07, which is available in the Library of the House. The published crowding measure (which was first used by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising in 2000) is based on an assumed standing room of 0.45 metres per standing passenger.
There are two specific variations to the published measure: Class 376 trains, operating on Southeastern services; and for services operated by Stagecoach South West Trains to and from London Waterloo.
New (Class 376) purpose-built vehicles ordered for Southeastern are configured to serve short-distance Metro passenger flows, and the stock has been specifically configured with low density seating and appropriate grab rails for standing passengers, to ensure that passengers can stand in relative comfort for short-distance journeys; the same is true for Class 455 units operated by Stagecoach South West Trains, on services that stop within 20 minutes of leaving London Waterloo. In these cases the standard is varied to 0.35 and 0.25 square metres respectively.
Road Traffic: Essex
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 247W, on road traffic: Essex, what major maintenance improvements he is contemplating; which auxiliary lane scheme he will approve for the Hatfield Peverel to Witham section; whether the £24.5 million expenditure is additional to money already earmarked for spending on trunk roads in the East of England; and when the allocation of funding to these projects will be confirmed. [235118]
Paul Clark: The Kelvedon Phase 2 major maintenance scheme is already funded and will begin construction on 13 November 2008. The future programme of works for the financial year 2009-10 will include both the Witham Phase 2 works and the Hatfield Peverel Auxiliary Lane scheme, both being programmed for construction concurrently.
The Hatfield Peverel Auxiliary Lane section of the works will involve the construction of a southbound auxiliary lane between Junctions 21 and 20B of the A12, along with improvements to the northbound slip road at Junction 20B. This scheme will take place entirely within the current highway boundary.
There will not be any requirement for additional money for the construction of the schemes as all design and construction costs will be taken from the Highways Agency's regular funding.
Allocation of funding for schemes programmed to start during the financial year 2009-10 will be confirmed early 2009.
Roads: Accidents
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) people and (b) children were
(i) killed and (ii) seriously injured in road accidents in each of the last 16 years. [234591]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the table:
| Number of casualties | ||||||||||||
| Child (0-15) | Adult (16+) | All | ||||||||||
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | |
| (1) Includes cases where age of the casualty was not reported. | ||||||||||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |