§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he made of the impact of departmental proposals for relaxing the definitions of vehicles to exclude electric power-assisted bicycles on the figures for(a) fatalities and (b) injuries from road accidents; and what account he took of studies conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory (i) on his behalf and (ii) for any other agency or body. [1013]
§ Mr. BowisRoad accidents involving electric power-assisted bicycles are currently collected in the road accident data reporting system, but are not separately identifiable from bicycles in general. Accidents involving electric power-assisted bicycles will continue to be collected even if there is a change of vehicle definition. The Department has received the Transport Research Laboratory report which is being considered by a working group of Government Department and manufacturing representatives. After consideration by the working group, any restrictions proposed will be taken into account.