§ Mr. Jim Marshallasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what consultations, if any, he had with the local authority associations prior to giving 292W the advice to local authorities that mopeds should no longer be permitted to use "Bus Only" lanes;
(2)if the advice given to local authorities that mopeds should no longer be permitted to use "Bus Only" lanes was given either as a consequence of a direction from the EEC Commission or on advice from the EEC Commission;
(3)if he will publish in the Official Report the EEC regulations concerning mopeds and the use of "Bus Only" lanes;
(4)what discussions he had with the EEC Commission prior to issuing his advice to local authorities concerning mopeds and the use of "Bus Only" lanes.
§ Mr. CarmichaelMopeds have never been permitted to use bus lanes. The local authority associations were consulted in 1971 before the issue of Circular Roads 1/72, which first advocated that pedal cyclists should be allowed to use kerbside with-flow bus lanes. The associations were consulted again in January 1974 about the traffic signs regulations, which define the classes of vehicles permitted to use bus lanes. I am not aware of any EEC regulations on the subject.
§ Mr. Jim Marshallasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report (i) the number of moped riders killed in road accidents for the last four years for which statistics are available, (ii) the number of moped riders killed in accidents in "Bus Only" lanes for the last four years for which statistics are available, (iii) the number of moped riders involved in general road accidents for the last four years for which statistics are available and (iv) the number of moped riders involved in road accidents in "Bus Only" lanes for the last four years for which statistics are available.
§ Mr. CarmichaelFollowing are the figures for Great Britain:
Number of moped riders killed Number of moped riders involved in accidents 1971 60 4,995 1972 42 5,822 1973 76 8,214 1974 79 9,670 National information on accidents occurring in "Bus Only" lanes is not available.