HC Deb 14 July 1981 vol 8 cc359-60W
Mr. Iain Mills

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much grant he made available under the Ports (Financial Assistance) Act 1981 to the Port of London Authority and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in the first three months of the current financial year; and how much he expects to make available in the next three months.

Mr. Fowler

The Port of London Authority received £9.9 million and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company £14.4 million in the first quarter of 1981–82. Grants during the next three months will depend on the severances achieved by the two ports and the effect of other aspects of their business on their cash requirements. I do not expect the combined grants to the two authorities to exceed £22 million for this second quarter.

As I informed the House on 31 March this year—[Vol. 2, c. 88–89]—the payments to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company represented a new service and, pending approval of a Supplementary Estimate for the transport

Table 1—Trend in Road Casualities since 1950
1950 1958 1960 *1966 1970 1975 1978 1979 1980
Killed 5,010 5,970 6.970 7,985 7,500 6,365 6,830 6,350 6,010
Seriously Injured (thousands) 49 69 84 100 93 77 83 81 79
All casualties (thousands) 201 300 348 392 363 325 350 335 329
* Peak year for deaths and serious injuries.

Table 2—Casualties by class of road user and severity

1980 (Final): Great Britain

Number and percentage change compared with 1979
Killed Casualties by Severity

Seriously injured

All casualties Traffic
No. per cent. No. per cent. No. per cent. per cent.
Pedestrians
Children 0–14 years 298 -21 6,595 -6 24,931 -5
Adults: 15–59 years 635 -12 6,365 -10 24,878 -7
60 and over 1,005 -1 3,999 -4 11,757
All casualties* 1,941 -8 17,094 -7 63,299 -5
Pedal cyclists
Children 0–14 years 86 ** 2,049 +3 9,454 -1
Adults 216 -1 3,170 +9 14,959 +9
All casualties* 302 -6 5,234 +6 24,788 +5 +8
Two-wheeled motor vehicle users
All casualties 1,163 21,534 +7 70,838 +5 +11
Car (and taxi) users
All casualties 2,278 -6 30,963 -5 143,517 -4 +4
Other Vehicle Users†
All casualties 269 -17 4,081 -12 24,290 -12
All road users‡ 6,010 -5 79,400 -1 328,600 -2 ║+4

industries Vote, repayable advances from the contingencies fund of up to £15 million would be made. It is now estimated that further advances from the contingencies fund of up to £1 million may be necessary.