§ Mr. Greg KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask chief constables in England and Wales for a report on the effectiveness of Regulation 12 of the Motorway Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982, as amended, in their county areas. [17410]
§ Mr. DenhamThe enforcement of motorway regulations is an operational matter for chief officers of police. I understand from the Association of Chief Police Officers that they consider that the prohibition of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and coaches from the outside lane of motorways enhances traffic flow and affords other drivers some degree of protection from large vehicles. Most HGV drivers observe the prohibition, although a small minority exercise poor lane discipline which can cause annoyance to other motorists. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that this is a significant problem, and we do not consider that a review of the regulation is necessary at this time.
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership areas in Thames Valley police force area: Number of crimes recorded by the police per 1,000 population—April 2000 to March 2001 Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary dwelling Theft of a motor vehicle Theft from a vehicle Aylesbury Vale 6.3 0.4 0.8 3.3 3.4 12.9 Bracknell Forest 6.3 0.4 0.5 3.2 4.5 11.0 Cherwell 6.7 0.3 0.2 2.8 4.2 9.1 Chiltern 3.4 0.3 0.5 4.0 3.2 7.6 Milton Keynes 10.0 0.8 1.0 5.8 7.4 11.6 Oxford 13.2 0.7 2.3 10.8 8.6 17.3 Reading 10.8 0.8 3.7 12.8 11.6 25.4 Slough 11.1 0.8 2.7 12.4 10.1 40.3 South Bucks 4.1 0.3 0.8 13.0 6.9 30.6 South Oxfordshire 4.1 0.3 0.1 5.4 3.6 9.5 Vale of White Horse 4.9 0.6 0.2 3.1 3.0 5.0 West Berkshire 4.5 0.3 0.3 3.0 3.1 10.3 West Oxfordshire 3.8 0.3 0.2 1.9 1.7 5.6 Windsor & Maidenhead 8.3 0.5 0.7 7.1 4.9 23.9 Wokingham 3.1 0.2 0.7 5.6 3.4 12.4 Wycombe 6.2 0.4 0.8 7.4 5.5 12.1 Note:
Crime rates based on resident population may give a misleading impression in areas where numbers of non-residents, such as commuters and visitors, are significant.