HL Deb 08 July 1964 vol 259 cc1010-1

2.40 p.m.

LORD MABANE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children were killed on the roads in Britain in the year ended December 31, 1930, in the year ended December 31, 1938, and in the year ended December 31, 1963.]

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, there were 1,685 children of 14 years of age and under killed in 1930, 1,130 in 1938 and 809 in 1963.

LORD MABANE

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. While deaths of children are to be deplored, do not the figures show a dramatic decrease in the number killed, and is credit not again due to the Ministry of Transport, the police authorities and the education authorities for the movement in these statistics?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for what he has said, and I think the same kind of factors to which I have just referred apply in this case, also. I think we should at least derive encouragement, with perhaps but little satisfaction, from what would appear to be the value of road safety training and education of children.