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16 Dec 2009 : Column 1164W—continued
Lorries: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) major injuries were caused in 2008-09 by objects from unsecured freight vehicle loads falling off vehicles. [306967]
Paul Clark: In 2008 there were two deaths and 22 serious injuries in reported personal injury road accidents involving a dislodged vehicle load in the carriageway. It is not known what types of vehicles the loads came from. This does not include cases where a dislodged vehicle load was in the carriageway as a result of a previous accident.
Lorries: Safety
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in what circumstances heavy goods vehicles registered outside the UK are permitted to enter the UK where the weight and axle arrangements are such that they would not be permitted for UK-registered vehicles. [306963]
Paul Clark: Heavy goods vehicles registered outside the UK are not permitted to enter the UK with axle or gross weights exceeding those permitted for UK registered vehicles.
Motor Vehicles: Sales
John Battle:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) low carbon road vehicles
and (b) road vehicles were sold in the UK in each of the last five years. [306946]
Mr. Khan: Data on new vehicle registrations in the UK are collected by the DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency). Table 1 shows the number of new vehicle registrations in the UK from 2004 to 2008. These data are published on the Department for Transport's website which can be found at:
| Table 1: Motor vehicles registered for the first time, 2004 to 2008 | |||||||
| Thousands | |||||||
| Cars | Motorcycles | Vans | HGVs | Buses & coaches | Other | Total | |
Data on the C02 emissions from most road vehicles are not available. However, since 2001, DVLA has collected data on the C02 emissions (gC02/km) of new cars registered in accordance with EU Decision 1753/2000/EC. There is no precise definition of a low carbon vehicle. Table 2 shows the number of new cars registered in the UK over the last five years with C02 emissions below 120gCO2/km. These cars have significantly lower C02 emissions than the average for newly registered cars in 2008 of 158gC02/km and have risen as a share of all newly registered cars from 3 per cent. in 2004 to 11 per cent. in 2008.
| Table 2: Cars registered for the first time by gC0 2 /km, 2004 to 2008 | |||||
| Thousands | |||||
| Cars below 120gCO 2 /km | Cars above 120gCO 2 /km | Unknown | Total | Cars below 120g as a percentage of total | |
Railways: Fares
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what role his Department has in defining peak and off-peak times in respect of the calculation of rail fares. [303922]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport ensures that the maximum restrictions that may be placed on the validity of regulated off-peak fares are protected through provisions in franchise agreements.
Where commuter fares are regulated, the peak fares are regulated within the maximum restriction set by the Department, but it is possible for the start of the off-peak to be defined by operators as earlier than the maximum.
In London on oyster pay-as-you-go (PAYG) the off-peak has been agreed with Transport for London and is captured in the PAYG agreement.
Roads: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many deaths there were in motor accidents in which a contributory factor was (a) consumption of illegal drugs, (b) consumption of alcohol and (c) tiredness of the driver during December in each year since 1997. [306973]
Paul Clark: Information about contributory factors to road accidents has been collected since 2005. The information requested is shown for each year since then in the following table:
| Fatalities in road accidents in December with selected contributory factors reported( 1) : GB 2005-2008 | |||
| Contributory factor reported in accident | |||
| (a) Impaired by alcohol | (b) Impaired by drugs (illicit or medicinal) | (c) Fatigue | |
| (1) Includes accidents where the police attended the scene and reported a contributory factor. | |||
Contributory factors reflect the police officer's opinion at the time of reporting, and where some factors may have contributed to the cause of an accident it may be difficult for a police officer attending the scene after the accident to identify them, so these factors may be
underreported. Not all reported road accidents are included in the contributory factor analysis, only those where a police officer attended the scene and at least one contributory factor was reported.
Roads: Carbon Emissions
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average level of carbon dioxide emitted per mile driven was for road traffic in the latest year for which figures are available; what information he holds for benchmarking purposes on such levels in each (a) EU and (b) G8 country in that year; and if he will make a statement. [306970]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport publishes estimates of road traffic and CO2 emissions from road transport in "Transport Statistics Great Britain". The latest edition can be found at:
This data can be used to provide an estimate of the average level of carbon dioxide per mile for road traffic. For 2007, the latest year for which data are available, this figure is 379gCO2/mile.
"Transport Statistics Great Britain" does include similar data for road traffic and CO2 emissions for other EU-27 and some G8 countries, but the road traffic and CO2 emissions data are not held for the same year and so a similar calculation of average CO2 per mile can not be made.
Roads: Freight
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the annual movement of freight by road in billion tonne miles was in each year since 1997. [306966]
Paul Clark: Domestic road freight transport performed by GB-registered vehicles is available in Table 4.1 in the publication 'Transport Statistics Great Britain 2009 Edition'. This is available on the DFT website at the following link:
This table does not include the activity of foreign registered vehicles as this is not centrally collected.
A summary is provided as follows:
| Domestic freight transport by road, Great Britain | |
| Goods moved (billion tonne kilometres) | |
Scientists
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many times the Secretary of State has met (a) the Government chief scientific adviser and (b) his Department's chief scientific adviser in the course of his official duties in the last 12 months. [303912]
Chris Mole: The current Secretary of State met the Government chief scientific adviser on several occasions in his former role as Minister of State through their joint attendance of the Cabinet Committee for Science and Innovation.
The then Secretary of State met the Department's chief scientific adviser on the 28 April 2009. In his former role as Minister of State, the current Secretary of State met the Department's chief scientific adviser five times in the last 12 months in the course of his official duties and has regular informal discussions with him in the margins of meetings and events.
Severn Bridge: Tolls
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Severn River Crossing plc on toll charges in 2010. [306304]
Mr. Khan: While I have not had any discussions with Severn River Crossing plc (SRC) about toll charges for next year, officials for the Department for Transport have. As required under the Severn Bridges Act 1992, it is necessary to review toll levels each year in line with the retail price index. Departmental officials have corresponded with SRC in relation to the calculation of the toll levels following publication of the September RPI figure, as well as the reintroduction of the 17.5 per cent. VAT rate.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the level of toll charges on the Severn Crossing. [306305]
Mr. Khan: I have had no discussions with Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Ministers on the level of tolls on the Severn Crossings. Department for Transport officials do have regular contact with staff from the WAG on various matters concerning the Severn River Crossings as part of normal Highways Agency operations.
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