HC Deb 18 April 1988 vol 131 cc362-4W
51. Mr. David Shaw

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the national roads budget was last reduced.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The national roads budget was last reduced, by £14.9 million, in the financial year 1983–84 from £738 million to £723 million. During that year, public expenditure was running ahead of planning totals and a Cabinet decision was taken to cut cash limits on all votes.

1983–84 was an exception to the steady, upward trend of provision for national roads which has resulted in real terms growth of about 30 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1987–88.

Since 1979 provision for national roads has been steadily rising as follows :

National roads public expenditure provision
£ million
Year Cash Real terms (at 1986–87 prices)
1978–79 377 733
1979–80 443 738

Estimated changes in national casualties during the winter
Pedestrians Others (under 25) Others (over 25) All road users
KSI Total KSI Total KSI Total KSI Total
Per cent. reduction 3.6 2.2 1.5 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.9 1.1
Casualty reduction 300 590 180 350 100 400 580 340

No estimates are available on potential accident benefits from a combination of British standard time and double British summer time.

32. Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has made any studies of the cost to the economy of transport-related accidents.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The Department of Transport publishes annual estimates of the cost of road accidents. The total cost of road accidents in Great Britain in 1986, the latest available date, was estimated to be £3.8 billion, of which £2.8 billion is due to accidents involving personal injury. The cost of road accidents divided up for different severities of injury is as follows :

Injury Estimated cost

£
Fatal Accidents 1.5 billion (39 per cent.)
Serious accidents 1.1 billion (28 per cent.)
Slight accidents 0.3 billion (8 per cent.)
Damage only accidents 1.0 billion (25 per cent.)

Included in the cost of personal injury accidents are estimates of the loss of output due to death or injury (30 per cent.), medical and ambulance costs (5 per cent.), the cost of police and insurance administration (2 per cent.), property damage (11 per cent.) and an allowance for pain, grief and suffering (52 per cent.).

The Department does not assess routinely the cost of accidents on railways, in shipping or aviation.

Year Cash Real terms (at 1986–87 prices)
1980–81 536 754
1981–82 685 878
1982–83 739 883
1983–84 723 826
1984–85 795 869
1985–86 816 841
1986–87 893 893
1987–88 976 936