§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the sources are of the statistics published by his Department on(a) bus reliability, (b) bus punctuality and (c) bus patronage; whether independent audits are conducted to verify the source data and the methods used to produce these statistics; and if he will place source information and methodology statements in the Library. [173470]
§ Mr. McNultyThe statistics published on bus reliability and patronage are based on returns completed by bus operators. There are currently no statistics on bus punctuality. The bus patronage data are collected via a statutory survey under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. The bus reliability survey is voluntary. When received, the raw data are treated as Restricted-Commercial and are not released to other parties, except with the permission of the operators themselves.
835WThe methods used were examined in the National Statistics Quality Review which was carried out by WS Atkins Ltd. in 2002–03 and published on 6 August 2003. Short descriptions of the methods used for estimating bus reliability and patronage statistics are included in the review, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library.
§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list bus usage in terms of(a) number
Million passenger journeys 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 North East 262 253 252 243 241 237 North West 507 509 493 489 480 485 Yorks and Humberside 411 386 381 374 369 37 West Midlands 464 447 450 454 447 439 East Midlands 209 212 210 210 210 212 Eastern 163 165 167 170 172 167 London 1,294 1,279 1,307 1,359 1,434 1,542 South East 272 287 289 282 276 268 South West 191 183 182 179 175 175 England 3,773 3,719 3,732 3,760 3,804 3,901 London (million passenger kilometres) 4,350 4,315 4,429 4,709 5,128 5,721 The estimates for passenger journeys are taken from Table 13 of the "Bulletin of Public Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2003 Edition", copies of which are held in the Libraries of the House.