§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research he has commissioned into the potential improvement of safety on coaches by the introduction of(a) seatbelts and (b) rollover bars. [83569]
§ Mr. JamiesonResearch was carried out in the UK in 2000–02 aimed at identifying any necessary improvements to the European standard for coach rollover protection requirements as a consequence of seat belt use. The results of this research will be published shortly and are currently being used in the international group responsible for developing the standard for rollover protection. Additional research looking at the restraint of children in coaches has recently been commissioned, and is due for completion in 2005. My Department is also contributing to the wider EU funded research project, "Enhanced Coach and Bus Safety" which is looking more widely into bus and coach safety standards.