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15 Mar 2010 : Column 614W—continued
enacting new measures on lorry mirrors to improve the visibility of cyclists and pedestrians.
There are no plans to arrange a press conference in respect of the report commissioned by this Department on the potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury. The Department publishes numerous reports throughout the year and it is not usual practice to facilitate a press conference for each report's publication.
The total cost of the research programme on Road Safety and Cycling is £527,719 excluding VAT. The report on cycle helmets was published by TRL on 15 December 2009 alongside a report providing an understanding of the key causes of collisions involving cyclists. Research findings for both reports are available to download from the Department for Transport website and direct links to the full reports, which are free to download from TRL's website, are provided.
Pre-publication copies of the reports were sent to the road safety and cycling research project's advisory group a week before publication. This group is made up of a wide range of road safety, health, and cycling interest groups. An e-mail link was sent to the advisory group and a wider group of stakeholders on the day of publication.
TRL's research confirms conclusions from earlier work showing that cycle helmets can help to protect cyclists in the event of a collision. That is why the Department for Transport encourages cyclists-especially children-to wear helmets when cycling.
However, the Department has no plans to introduce legislation to make cycle helmets compulsory for children or for adults. Taking into account the practicalities of enforcing such an offence-particularly among children-as
well as the possible impact on levels of cycling and the potential loss of wider health benefits, the Department is not persuaded that making helmets mandatory is the right option.
TRL's research project estimated that between 10 and 16 per cent. of cyclist fatalities with a certain type of head injury could have been prevented if they had worn an appropriate cycle helmet. This estimate is based on an assessment of cyclist fatality reports and includes both adults and children. It is not possible to use this to estimate specific casualty savings for children.
The Department for Transport's statistics show that a total of 12 cyclists aged 15 or under were killed in road accidents in Great Britain in 2008. The statistics do not show how many of these were due to head injuries, or how many were, or were not, wearing cycle helmets.
TRL's research also found that of the on-road serious cyclist casualties admitted to hospital in England, 10 per cent. suffered injuries of a type and to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented. 405 child cyclists aged 0 to 15 were recorded as seriously injured in road accidents in Great Britain in 2008, although this definition of serious injury includes a much wider range of injuries that were not sufficiently serious to lead to admission to hospital.
The report also found that a further 20 per cent. of cyclists admitted to hospital suffered 'open wounds to the head', some of which are likely to have been to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented.
Departmental Manpower
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many of his Department's staff (a) are seconded to BAA and (b) were so seconded in each of the last five years; what the roles were of such personnel; and if he will make a statement. [320136]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's records indicate that no staff are currently seconded to BAA. One member of staff was seconded to BAA for 10 months in 2005. His role was to plan and deliver BAA's surface transport strategy for Heathrow airport. No other staff have been seconded to BAA in the last five years.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers. [321143]
Chris Mole: Two civil servants support the special advisers-one at EO grade, one at HEO grade. Both provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans his Department has to consult trade unions when considering the funding and spending priorities of his Department for 2009-14. [309068]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport uses the Whitley system as the framework for negotiation, consultation and exchanges of views and information. If the trade unions wish to discuss the funding and spending priorities for the Department, this is the framework for doing so.
Derby-Manchester Railway Line
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will assess the effect of reopening the Derby to Manchester rail line to passenger rail traffic; and what recent discussions he has had with the Peak District National Park Authority in respect of their plan to open up closed tunnels to cyclists. [311177]
Chris Mole: A full assessment of re-opening the Matlock to Buxton and Chinley section of the Derby to Manchester rail line was carried out in 2004 by the Strategic Rail Authority and Derbyshire county council. It concluded that re-opening would costs between £84 million and £123 million. None of the options considered offered value for money and services under all options would require ongoing subsidy.
We have been in discussions with the Peak District National Park about their plans to improve facilities for cyclists, including the opening and upgrading of some routes through tunnels. We have agreed to provide funding to contribute to this project as part of Cycling England's Finding New Solutions-the Role of Leisure programme.
First Capital Connect: Fixed Penalties
Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on how many occasions First Capital Connect has been issued with a financial penalty for not providing enough seats for rail passengers in each of the last six months. [321498]
Chris Mole [holding answer 10 March 2010]: No financial penalty for not providing enough seats for rail passengers has been issued to First Capital Connect in the last six months.
The Department for Transport is currently working with First Capital Connect to alleviate overcrowding of short formation trains by introducing more coaches to lengthen trains.
Greater Manchester
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies of his Department and its predecessors policies since 1997. [322133]
Mr. Khan:
The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from my Department for transport investment in the City of
Manchester, within which transport authority the Gorton constituency falls, has more than doubled over the last decade.
Investment in Greater Manchester's Joint Local Transport Plan, to which Manchester city council is a partner authority, has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2004 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 7 per cent. and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 28 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
In May 2004, Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) launched the Local Link flexible transport service in Gorton, Beswick and Openshaw, following a successful bid for £788,400 to the Department's Urban Bus Challenge fund. Local Link is a fully accessible demand-responsive bus service which provides access to health, education, retail and leisure facilities throughout the area seven days a week. In August 2004, an additional vehicle was allocated to the service due to exceptionally high demand.
It was announced in July 2006 that the Department had approved Greater Manchester ITA's major scheme business case for the £575 million Manchester Metrolink Phase 3a expansion. The project will expand the existing Metrolink network to Droylsden, Rochdale and Chorlton. The 3.9 mile extension to Droylsden will provide high quality public transport links between areas of deprivation in East Manchester and the major employment and leisure sites at Manchester Piccadilly and the City of Manchester Stadium. It is anticipated that construction of the Droylsden extension will be completed in spring 2012.
In 2009, the Greater Manchester ITA submitted a successful bid to the Department's Green Bus Fund. The £3.1 million award will support the purchase of 66 low carbon vehicles, including a fleet of 20 diesel-electric hybrid buses to operate Metroshuttle services in Manchester City Centre, 16 hybrid Yellow School Buses, and 30 hybrid single deck vehicles for use on subsidised services in the city.
Kemble-Swindon Railway Line
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2010, Official Report, columns 456-7W, on the Kemble-Swindon railway line, whether the discussions
with Network Rail on re-doubling of the Swindon-Kemble railway line have been concluded; and when he expects to make an announcement on their outcomes. [321908]
Chris Mole [holding answer 12 March 2010]: At present, Network Rail quotes a cost of £52.4 million for the redoubling of the Swindon-Kemble section of route. Officials in the Department for Transport are working with Network Rail to determine and agree ways in which this cost can be reduced to a level at, or within, the budget of £45 million available from the south-west region.
A number of opportunities have been found that could potentially lead to savings being achieved, but these will take some weeks to resolve. I will make an announcement in due course.
Railways: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what estimate he made of the number of passengers who began journeys at York railway station in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available; [322096]
(2) what estimate he made of the number of passengers who travelled by train between York and (a) London, (b) Leeds and (c) Scotland in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [322097]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Statistics on individual station usage, journey and revenue information by three sectors of operators, "Long Distance", "London and South East", and "Regional" can be found in "National Rail Trends", published by the Office of Rail Regulation on a quarterly basis, at
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many trains a day ran between York and (a) London, (b) Leeds and (c) Scotland each day in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [322099]
Chris Mole: The following table shows the number of passenger trains operating between York and (a) London, (b) Leeds and (c) Scotland each day in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the current rail timetable. The figures include open access and franchised passenger trains.
| Northbound | Southbound | Difference | |||||
| Day | June 1996 | March 10 | Difference | June 1996 | March 10 | ||
Rapid Transit Systems: Luton
Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport from which budget the Luton Dunstable busway funding announced on 10 March 2010 will come. [322385]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport's funding contribution towards the Luton Dunstable busway will be provided from the Regional Funding Allocation for the east of England.
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