HC Deb 20 July 2004 vol 424 cc130-1W
Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to publicise his Department's guidelines for the operation of camera safety partnerships. [184613]

Mr. Jamieson

The current handbook of rules and guidelines for the operation of the safety camera cost recovery programme was placed in the Library of the House on 5 December 2003. The handbook is currently being updated for 2005–6. The new handbook will be placed in the House Library and published on the DfT website.

Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what monitoring processes are in place to ensure that his Department's guidelines for the operation of camera safety partnerships are observed. [184614]

Dr. Howells

The programme rules require the safety camera partnerships' accounts to be audited annually by the audit commission. Partnerships must also provide regular data to the Department on numbers of collisions and casualties. An independent report on the first three years of the operation of the safety camera programme by University College London and PA Consulting Group was published on 15 June, confirming the major reduction in collisions, deaths and casualties achieved at camera sites.

Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of public awareness of the guidelines that are in force for the operation of camera safety partnerships. [184615]

Mr. Jamieson

The criteria for the deployment of safety camera and the rules on camera conspicuity and visibility rules have been placed on the DfT website. The University College London and PA Consulting Group report on the first three years of the safety camera programme, published on 15 June, includes a description of the programme and the key rules and guidelines, and this is also available on the DfT website.

Mr. Alan Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money was received by central Government in 2003 in fines paid by motorists who were prosecuted for speeding as a result of the evidence of fixed cameras. [179818]

Mr. Jamieson

[holding answer 21 June 2004]: During the financial year 2002–3, the latest year for which figures are available, the amount of conditional offer fixed penalty fines relating to speed and red light safety cameras within the safety camera programme was £68,872,320. From this amount. £54,256,502 was returned to the Safety Camera Partnerships to cover their costs. We do not hold information centrally for camera operations other than those operated within the Safety Camera Partnerships. Neither is information held centrally on the amount of fines raised as a result of court proceedings.

Figures for fixed cameras alone are not separately available.