§ 21. Mr. Alisonasked the Minister of Transport how many road deaths occurred in the Tadcaster Police Division in the first quarter of 1965; how this number compares with the corresponding figure for 1964; and what action he will take in this connection.
§ Mr. SwinglerThere were 14 fatalities in road accidents in the first quarter of 1965 compared with six in the first quarter of 1964.
These accidents occurred at widespread places in the Tadcaster Police Division, some on trunk roads and some on roads for which the West Riding County Council is responsible. I have sent the hon. Member details of the accidents, and of the road improvements proposed in the cases where it is thought they would help reduce accidents.
§ Mr. AlisonI thank the hon. Member for that Answer, and for kindly sending me the papers that he referred to. But does not he agree that the trend reflected in these figures—an increase of over 100 per cent.—is quite a disastrous one, which warrants special action being taken really to enforce speed limits in this part of the country?
§ Mr. SwinglerI agree with the hon. Gentleman that this is a serious record and that something urgent needs to be done about it. A number of proposals, as I said in my letter to him, are under immediate consideration. We hope that some measures—both of traffic management, better enforcement of the speed limit and some road improvements—can take place urgently, pending the longer-term plan to bring about a bypass.