HC Deb 18 March 2002 vol 382 cc24-5W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the rural work force travel to their place of work by(a) foot, (b) bicycle, (c) bus, (d) train and (e) car; and if he will make a statement. [42904]

Mr. Jamieson

Information is available only in respect of people living in rural areas, not by place of work. From the National Travel Survey, the distribution of mode of travel to work for people living in rural areas in Great Britain over the period 1992–2000 was as follows:

  1. (a) foot—10 per cent.,
  2. (b) bicycle—3 per cent.,
  3. (c) bus—4 per cent.,
  4. (e) car—79 per cent.

The sample size is too small to give an accurate figure for transport by train, but it is less than 3 per cent. Rural areas are those with a population of less than 3,000 as defined by the 1991 Census.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the rural work force lives(a) less than 30 minutes, (b) 30 minutes to one hour, (c) one to two hours, (d) two to three hours and (e) more than three hours away from their place of work. [42911]

Mr. Jamieson

Information is available only in respect of people living in rural areas, not by place of work. From the National Travel Survey, the distribution of time spent by travelling to work by people living in rural areas in Great Britain is as follows:

  1. (a) less than 30 minutes—78 per cent.
  2. (b) 30 minutes to one hour—29 per cent.
  3. (c) one to two hours—12 per cent.

Data have been aggregated over the years 1992–2000 because the number of rural dwellers in the sample each year is small, and it is not possible to give accurate figures for journeys that take more than two hours. The figures are taken from travel diaries so they reflect actual journeys, rather than usual journeys, and may contain double counting as some people will have journeys of different lengths during the survey week. Rural areas are those with a population of less than 3,000 as defined by the 1991 Census.

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