HC Deb 20 October 1998 vol 317 cc1076-7
4. Mr. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South)

What plans he has to introduce safer routes to school. [54360]

Dr. Reid

High priority will continue to be given to schemes to provide safer routes to school. We are also actively encouraging schools to establish green transport plans. In addition, we are establishing the school travel advisory group, with the aim of reducing car use and improving children's safety on the journey to school.

Mr. Gapes

I welcome my right hon. Friend to his post, and also his answer to my question. Does he agree with me that it is noticeable that when there is a school holiday, there is far less traffic on the roads at certain times of the day, and that, in cities such as London and elsewhere, pollution and congestion are much related to very short journeys to take children to school? Will my right hon. Friend do all that he can to emphasise to local authorities and others the importance of providing safe routes so that we can reduce unnecessary car journeys to and from school?

Dr. Reid

Yes, indeed. As my hon. Friend points out, the statistics have changed considerably over the past 10 or 20 years. Two decades ago, one child in three, I think, walked unaccompanied to school. The figure now is one in nine. Improving the safety of walking and cycling, especially round schools, is not only one of our manifesto commitments but would be of enormous benefit both to children and the wider community. However, we recognise and fully understand concerns about the personal safety of children walking to school. We also understand the pressures, especially of time, on parents and schools. We have established—we had the inaugural meeting last week—the school travel advisory group so that we can consider concrete, practical proposals to provide safer and more secure routes to school so as to alleviate parents' concerns and encourage more children to take such routes to school.

Mr. Jonathan Sayeed (Mid-Bedfordshire)

The route to Ridgemont school in mid-Bedfordshire is one of the most dangerous in the county. That is because heavy goods vehicles travelling between the A1 and the M1 go through the very small village of Ridgemont. The county council has put a bypass for Ridgemont at the top of its priority list. Will the Minister do the same?

Dr. Reid

As for heavy lorries and freight, the hon. Gentleman will no doubt have listened to my detailed answers to Question 2. As for the hon. Gentleman's local plan, I shall always consider plans within the context of the criteria that we set out in the White Paper some months ago. I must remind the hon. Gentleman, however, that, despite the pressure on resources, we announced considerably more bypasses in the roads review this year than the Conservative Government did over a period of years.

Mrs. Anne Campbell (Cambridge)

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is a proposal in Cambridge to encourage people who drive their children in from outside the city to use collection points at the park-and-ride sites around the city, thereby reducing the number of cars that come into Cambridge at a very congested period of the day? Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is an innovative and interesting idea and one which should be supported?

Dr. Reid

Yes. We want to examine all such proposals with the purpose of producing practical alternatives. We have to recognise the concerns of parents about the security and safety of their children, which are understood by us all, while providing alternative real choices. Part of the answer may be safer and more secure routes, and part of that may be public transport. Presenting people with a choice, and a substantial means of exercising that choice, is the hallmark of the Government's transport policy as well as of our wider aims.