HC Deb 31 July 1998 vol 317 c606W
Ms Ryan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of recent trends in(a) injuries to residents and (b) damage to their property in respect of residences alongside (i) trunk roads and (ii) the A10 (London); [53250]

(2) what assessment he has made of recent trends in (a) accidents, (b) injuries and (c) deaths on the A10 due to (i) car and (ii) motorcycle accidents. [53248]

Ms Glenda Jackson

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Laurence Haynes to Ms Joan Ryan, dated 31 July 1998: The Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the Assessment of accident trends on the A10. The Highways Agency obtains accident records on a regular basis from the London Accident Analysis Unit which is part of the London Research Centre. The Unit performs regular statistical analysis such as ranking of sites and breakdown of accident figures by type of vehicle, severity, road and weather conditions. The Unit also carries out a rolling programme of route studies that make specific recommendations for safety improvements based on the accident record of a route. The Agency's network managers are also able to commission specific safety studies on an ad hoc basis if accident figures of our normal oversight of the network show that there might be a safety problem at a specific location. One such study was recently commissioned on the A10 in north London. The study will include work on traffic signal installations and an examination of road geometry, speeding and environmental issues. The results of the study will be available in about three months' time. We monitor continuously trends in complaints or claims for damage or injury to persons or properties along side trunk roads, including the A10 in London. We have not detected any significant changes in the numbers of complaints or claims for damage or injuries either nationally or on the A10 in London.

Ms Ryan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve the protection for residents living alongside trunk roads. [53249]

Ms Glenda Jackson

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my hon. right Friend the Minister of Transport setting out our policy on trunk roads, todayOfficial Report, columns 653–560.