§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to public funds of fatal road accidents to children in 1977; whether, as an interim measure, he will seek to put into effect, in Scotland, section 8 of the Road Traffic Act 1974, thereby making it mandatory on local authorities to promote road safety; and whether he will consider the initiation of an inquiry into this problem.
§ Mr. McElhone,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th July 1978] gave the following information:
Costs are not available. The Scottish Development Department will be holding discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to establish an appropriate date for a commencement order for section 8 of the Road Traffic Act 1974. The implementation of section 8 will not of itself guarantee a reduction in road casualties involving children. While I am continually aware of the need to promote road safety, it is worth noting that the number of children killed or injured on Scottish roads has been falling steadily in recent years and, indeed, the figures for the past two years were the lowest ever recorded.