§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for prime time advertising on television to support the objective of his road safety strategy. [113521]
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§ Mr. HillWell researched advertising on television will play a key role in supporting the objectives of our road safety strategy. The Department is currently considering options for a high profile campaign led by television advertising to be launched soon with the aim of bringing home to all the importance of safer road behaviour and the part that everyone can play in reducing deaths and injuries.
The Department has a long history of using television advertising as the focus of powerful and effective campaigns, well founded on research into what will work and thoroughly and independently monitored as to effectiveness.
Television will provide us in the coming year with the opportunity to raise the profile of road safety as an issue and to get across specific messages about child road safety, speed, drink driving, seat belt wearing and the range of other issues outlined in the indicative programme published in the strategy paper, "Tomorrow's roads: safer for everyone".
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to set casualty reduction targets for(a) pedestrians, (b) cyclists and (c) motorcyclists; [113519]
(2) what special measures he proposes to reduce accidents among (a) pedestrians, (b) cyclists and (c) motorcyclists. [113520]
§ Mr. HillThe Government's new Road Safety Strategy, "Tomorrow's roads: safer for everyone", was launched by the Prime Minister on 1 March. It sets a new target to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads by 40 per cent. by the year 2010, a separate target of 50 per cent. for children, and a 10 per cent. reduction in the slight casualty rate. No targets have been set for specific groups but paragraph 9.13 commits us to considering with the Road Safety Advisory Board, rate based targets for cyclists and walkers.
Special measures for these groups are detailed in chapters eight and nine of the strategy, but measures described elsewhere, particularly our driver training, will be to their benefit.
Copies of "Tomorrow's roads: safer for everyone" are in the Library and the Vote Office.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the total cost was of the launch event for the Government's road safety strategy; and what was the breakdown of the costs, including the cost of the (i) videos and films, (ii) stage backdrop, (iii) hire of the premises, (iv) expenses provided for the schoolchildren who participated in the event, (v) sound systems, (vi) issue of invitations, (vii) hospitality and (viii) other costs. [113526]
§ Mr. HillThe total cost of the event to launch the road safety strategy on 1 March is estimated at £16,800 including VAT where applicable (some minor costs are not yet known).
A breakdown of costs by category is given in the table.
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Category £ Detail Videos and films 4,300 We plan to use both videos and films on at least three other occasions Stage backdrop 6,800 Some of the stage set will be re-used at other events Hire of premises 2,100 — Expenses for school children; issue of invitations; hospitality 600 Of the 15 school children, nine came from a local school and were issued by DETR staff; hospitality for about 120 delegates Sound system 1,200 The sound system was provided by the venue Other costs 1,800 Photographer delegate expenses items for the children and minor work on site