§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many speed cameras have been installed, and how much has been spent on(a) installing and (b) maintaining and replacing speed cameras in each year since 1995; [23199]
(2) what the estimated backlog is in the prosecution of speeding related offences detected by speed cameras; [23049]
(3) what criteria the Government have set for money raised from fines arising from speed cameras being made available to meet the costs of that speed camera; [23048]
(4) what the estimated financial saving is from the cost of road accidents which has arisen since the introduction of speed cameras in the UK; [23051]
(5) what the percentage change is in the number of (a) serious and (b) fatal accidents at sites where speed cameras have been installed in the last two years; [23050]
(6) how many (a) pedestrian, (b) cyclist, (c) motor cyclist, (d) car driver and (e) passenger lives are estimated to have been saved by the introduction of speed cameras; [23052]
(7) if he will make a statement on the system for the funding of speed cameras in selected police areas; and what plans the Government have to extend the system; [23055]
(8) what estimate the Government have made of the number of accidents caused by drivers cutting their speeds on approaching a signalled speed camera in the last five years; [23054]
(9) what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of speed cameras on the use of police time; [23056]
(10) how much money has been raised in fines for speeding related offences, detected by speed cameras, in each year since 1995; [23198]
(11) what the average cost is of (a) setting up and (b) maintaining a speed camera; and what percentage of the maintenance and set up costs of speed cameras is covered by revenue raised from fines and other charges, made through speed related offences. [23053]
§ Mr. DenhamThe number of speed cameras in police force areas is not recorded centrally. The Association of Chief Police Officers estimates that there are about 4,500 speed camera sites in England and Wales. The average cost of purchasing and installing a fixed site speed camera is in the region of £30,000.
From April 2000 eight partnerships, comprising local police forces, local authorities, highways authorities and magistrates courts, have been piloting a new 'netting off' scheme. This allows the fixed penalty revenue from speed and red-light cameras to be re-invested to fund camera enforcement. The money raised is used to meet all the costs of purchasing, installing, operating and maintaining cameras.
Under the scheme, local magistrates courts within a partnership collect all fixed penalty notice and fine revenue from offenders. The element to be netted off goes 785W to the partnership's local authority, which acts as treasurer for the scheme, and distributes the funds to each of the partners on the basis of invoiced expenditure. Any revenue not used for camera enforcement goes to Her Majesty's Treasury. For areas outside the netting-off scheme all camera related costs are met by the police, local authorities and other agencies involved in the enforcement process. Proceeds go to Her Majesty's Treasury.
The results of the netting-off scheme demonstrate its value. Evidence from the pilot areas shows that motorists are slowing down in all areas where speed cameras are located, and not just in the immediate vicinity of camera sites. The first year report of the scheme shows that across the eight pilot areas as a whole the number of people killed or seriously injured dropped by 18 per cent. compared to the average of the previous three years. On average, the number of people killed or seriously injured at the camera sites is down by 47 per cent., and the average speed is down by 5.6 miles per hour. On the basis of historical trend data, we estimate that there were 109 fewer people killed or seriously injured as a result of the increased camera enforcement, although we cannot break this down by type of road user. We estimate that £27 million has been saved by the reduction of casualties and collisions at camera sites in the pilot areas when account is taken of ambulance and medical costs, lost output and the human costs of road accidents.
In addition, the evidence suggests that police operational priorities have not been distorted in any way. Automatic road safety cameras do not need police attendance and act as a continuous deterrent. They free up police resources to deal with other crimes and to undertake other traffic law enforcement activities. In the pilot areas, wider criminal activity has also been detected by chasing up non-payers caught on camera. The Association of Chief Police Officers strongly supports the netting-off scheme.
In August we announced the national roll-out of the netting-off scheme, and a further seven partnership areas joined the scheme in October 2001. A further 12 force areas have applied to join the scheme next year, and more are expected soon. All areas wishing to join the scheme are expected to do so over the next two to three years.
We have made it clear that cameras will only be placed at sites where there is a proven history of speed-related injuries or at accident hotspots where excess speed is a problem. There will be a requirement that all cameras are properly sign-posted and sufficiently visible, with their deployment well publicised locally. Camera use will be monitored to ensure that they help to reduce accidents. Those that do not will be moved to a more appropriate location or removed altogether. We shall be issuing new guidance to local authorities and police forces operating speed cameras outside the netting-off scheme, so that the requirements for other cameras mirror the netting-off rules.
The number of fixed penalties over the last five years for speeding offences where cameras have provided the evidence is given in the table. Automatic camera devices provided evidence from 1995 to 1998 and all camera types for 1999. Data for 2000 are not yet available. From 1995 to 1999 the fixed penalty charge for speeding offences was £40. All the money was paid to Her Majesty's Treasury.
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Estimated revenue1 Fixed penalties £ million 1995 170,000 6.8 1996 212,600 8.8 1997 288,600 11.5 1998 338,800 13.6 19992 423,000 16.9 1 'Estimate' based on paid £40 fixed penalty charge from 1995 to 1999 for England and Wales. 2 Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types for 1999. Information on the number of speed related offences awaiting prosecution is not held centrally.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) speed-related and (b) other criminal prosecutions have been made by use of speed camera equipment in each year since 1995; and what the average cost of prosecution per speed camera is. [23070]
§ Mr. DenhamAvailable information on the number of fixed penalties and prosecutions for speeding and traffic light offences detected by cameras is shown in the table.
Information is not collected centrally by my Department on whether speed camera evidence has been used in any other criminal prosecutions. Average cost figures for prosecutions per speed camera are also not available centrally.
Fixed penalties and prosecutions for offences detected by cameras 1England and Wales 1995 to 1999 Number of offences Year Fixed penalty2 Prosecutions Total Speeding 1995 170,000 36,900 206,900 1996 212,600 49,600 262,200 1997 288,600 48,100 336,700 1998 338,800 65,100 403,800 1999 423,000 75,600 498,600 Traffic lights 1995 33,300 14,800 48,100 1996 33,400 19,400 52,800 1997 34,600 18,800 53,300 1998 31,800 11,800 43,500 1999 37,100 14,900 52,000 All offences 1995 203,300 51,700 255,000 1996 246,000 67,000 312,900 1997 323,200 66,900 390,000 1998 370,500 76,800 447,400 1999 460,100 90,500 550,600 1 Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types for 1999 2 Paid, ie no further action