HC Deb 29 March 2004 vol 419 cc1167-9W
Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras there are in England and Wales; and how many are covered by the special schemes introduced in 2002 to facilitate investment in safety cameras. [150646]

Mr. Jamieson

Information from the 35 Safety Camera Partnerships currently operating, covering 38 of the 43 police authorities in England and Wales, indicates that there are currently 5,O40 fixed and mobile camera locations, of which 432 are for detecting motorists going through red traffic lights. This data is currently being audited.

Mr. McLoughlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras(a) there are and (b) there have been in each of the last five years in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire. [150925]

Mr. Jamieson

The numbers of approved speed cameras sites operated by local Partnerships under the Safety Camera Programme for the areas covered by the Government Office for the East Midlands are as follows.

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–041
Derbyshire Prior to the area's joining the Programme 53 76 84
Leicestershire Prior to the area's joining the Programme Prior to the area's joining the Programme 71 81
Lincolnshire 36 37 56 54
Northamptonshire 13 28 30 35
Nottinghamshire2 15 16 52 52
1Figures up to the end of September 2003 (latest figures submitted)
2Nottingham City in early years; Nottinghamshire latterly

Note: All figures are as reported by the partnerships and include both fixed and mobile camera sites

The numbers for West Derbyshire are included in those provided for Derbyshire.

Mr. Pope

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2004,Official Report, column 1004W, on speed cameras, how much of the income generated by speed cameras in the Lancashire Safety Camera Partnership area in 2003–04 is returned to the partnership to cover the costs of their camera activity; and where the remainder of the income is spent. [151290]

Mr. Jamieson

A maximum of £4.6 million of netted off fine receipts resulting from fixed penalties for speeding and red light offences has been approved to be passed to the Lancashire Safety Camera Partnership to cover the costs of its approved safety camera activity in 2003–04. The actual figure, which may be less but cannot be more, will be contained in the 2003–04 accounts. Any surplus of fixed penalties over the Partnership's approved expenditure is surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.

Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the latest accounts of each safety camera partnership. [158217]

Mr. Jamieson

Local authorities and police forces within individual safety camera partnerships make available for public scrutiny their accounts on an annual basis. These can be viewed by local arrangement.

David Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve the visibility of speed camera warning signs on the trunk road network. [163624]

Mr. Jamieson

[holding answer 26 March 2004]The "Handbook of rules and guidance for the operation of the national road safety programme for England and Wales, October 2003", a copy of which is in the Library of the House, sets out the standards for signing, marking, visibility and conspicuity of safety cameras. The Handbook also requires Safety Camera Partnerships regularly to review camera sites, to ensure for example that cameras are not obscured by foliage growth. The types of signs that may be used are contained in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. There are no current plans to alter these signing requirements. If there is a concern about the visibility of particular camera sites, the local Safety Camera Partnership would welcome comments.

Shona McIsaac

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many static speed cameras there are in(a) North East Lincolnshire, (b) North Lincolnshire and (c) Lincolnshire. [162579]

Mr. Jamieson

North East Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire fall within the Humberside Safety Camera Partnership which has no fixed safety camera sites. The Lincolnshire Safety Camera Partnership has 59 fixed speed camera sites.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fixed speed cameras were in operation in the United Kingdom in each year from 1998 to 2003. [142263]

Mr. Jamieson

My Department holds information on speed cameras operated under the Speed Camera Programme for funding of approved cameras from fixed fine receipts, which began with seven Safety Camera Partnership areas in England and Wales in April 2000, increasing to 14 in 2001 and to 28 during 2002. The number of approved fixed speed camera locations for the three financial years is:

As at end of year Number of camera sites Number of Partnership areas
2000–01 311 7
2001–02 706 14
2002–03 1,387 28

Successful Prosecutions for Tachograph Offences
2002–03 2001–02 2000–01 1999–00 1998–99 1997–98 1996–97
HGV
Tach/Records 5,253 4,999 6,279 7,027 5,579 5,233 4,708
Drivers Hours 3,776 2,701 4,184 4,683 4,171 3,478 3,270
PSV
Tach/Records 441 335 581 554 621 626 525
Drivers Hours 284 317 389 417 244 338 274