HC Deb 29 January 2002 vol 379 cc198-9W
Mr. Lazarowicz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of(a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents of the UK road building programme, for each year up to and including 2010; and if he will make a statement. [31004]

Mr. Jamieson

In England, the 10-Year Plan for transport provides the resources to enable central Government, the Highways Agency and local authorities, through their Local Transport Plans, to take action on road safety to support the Government's strategy for achieving its UK road safety targets. These targets are to reduce by 2010 the number of killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 40 per cent., and children by 50 per cent., compared with the average for 1994–98. Road building is expected to make a significant contribution towards achieving these targets. However, in England, local and central Government road building plans are not yet fully defined. In particular, on the strategic road network, the choice of specific schemes will depend on the outcome of the multi-modal studies currently being carried out. The road building programmes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are devolved matters.

Mr. Lazarowicz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the change in traffic as a result of the UK road building programme for each year up to and including 2010. [31005]

Mr. Jamieson

In England, the 10-Year Plan for transport includes significant investment in the strategic and local road network to tackle the problems of congestion, pollution, and safety. On the strategic road network in England, the choice of specific schemes will depend on the outcome of the multi-modal studies currently being carried out. But the increased level of investment in trunk roads in England is expected to result in 0.4 per cent, more traffic on all roads and 0.9 per cent, on inter-urban trunk roads in 2010. The 10-Year Plan as a whole is expected to reduce traffic growth in England between 2000 and 2010 from 22 per cent, to 17 per cent, on all roads and from 29 per cent, to 26 per cent, on inter-urban trunk roads. Responsibility for these matters has been devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee respectively.