§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled cars or travellers, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which they overturned, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownFor the years prior to the year ending 30th September 1973 records were not maintained in the detail necessary to answer the Question. For the year ending 30th September 1973 my Department examined the returns relating to England to identify cases and the answers are as follows:
Electrically propelled three-wheelers 2 Petrol engined three-wheelers with automatic transmission 95 Other petrol engined three-wheelers 103 Cars 6
1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 Electrically propelled three-wheelers 0 0 0 0 Petrol engined three-wheelers with automatic transmission 0 0 1 0 Other petrol engined three-wheelers 9 10 5 5 Cars 0 0 0 4 These statistics do not distinguish between damage to electrical equipment itself and that which spread elsewhere.
In respect of cars for years prior to 1972–73 records were not maintained in the necessary detail to answer the Question.
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will
634W
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled cars or travellers, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which they were involved in a collision with another vehicle, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownFor the years prior to the year ending 30th September 1973 records were not maintained in the detail necessary to answer the Question. For the year ending 30th September 1973 my Department examined the returns relating to England to identify cases and the answers are as follows:
Electrically propelled three-wheelers 120 Petrol engined three-wheelers with automatic transmission 664 Other petrol engined three-wheelers 1,977 Cars 1,093
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled cars or travellers, respectively, which either caught fire spontaneously or as a result of an accident, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownFollowing are the figures:
list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission and four-wheeled cars or travellers, respectively, which were involved in accidents due to the throttle or accelerator jamming, or the cable breaking, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73,
635W1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year;
(2)if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which the driver's wheelchair fouled the steering control, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year;
(3)if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which the sliding seat broke loose, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year;
(4)if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission and electrically-propelled invalid tricycles, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which the steering locked or steering wheel collapsed, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year;
(5)if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission which were involved in accidents in which the drive pulley broke, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year;
(6)if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox and motor invalid tri-
1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 Electrically propelled three-wheelers 109 105 62 9 Petrol engined three-wheelers with automatic transmission 45 Other petrol engined three-wheelers 44 Cars 12 9 3 10 In most accidents it is impossible to identify with certainty which of the contributory factors predominated.
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will arrange for an independent analysis of all accident report forms filled in by disabled drivers of motor invalid tricycles 636W cycles with automatic transmission, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which the petrol tank fractured, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownEven if it were possible to establish incontrovertible facts from the accident report forms, this information could not be extracted without a disproportionate use of resources.
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the total number of disabled drivers or their relatives who have written to her Department complaining of carbon monoxide leaking into the driving compartment of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox and motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, respectively, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe information could not be provided without a disproportionate use of resources.
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list the total number of motor invalid tricycles with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled cars or travellers, respectively, which were involved in accidents in which some mechanical or design fault was a contributory factor, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as at 31st March of each respective year, listing the main causes involved.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownFollowing is the information:
with manually-operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically-propelled invalid tricycles, respectively, which were involved in accidents, in England, for the years 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, as 31st March of each respective year, to establish the incidence of accidents caused by mechanical or design 637W faults where the driver may have been killed, injured and/or blamed for what occurred.
§ Mr, Robert C. BrownWe are not convinced of the value of such an investigation. Accident report forms are completed with varying degrees of clarity and the circumstances of each accident are described subjectively by the disabled driver involved. Understandably, third parties often have a somewhat different view. It is therefore difficult in some cases to judge with any certainty from the information on the report form the exact causes of an accident. Most accidents have a variety of contributory causes, the primary one undoubtedly being driver error, and the determination of these would need not only expert analysis but detailed on-the-spot investigation at the time of the accident.
§ Mrs. Colquhounasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the accident report form filled in by disabled drivers includes details of how the accident was caused, whether the driver was killed or what injuries he sustained, and whether he held a provisional licence; and if she will make available copies of the form to disabled drivers' representatives.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes". As to the second part, copies of the proforma can be supplied but my hon. Friend will understand that information concerning an individual could not properly be disclosed.