§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities there were of(a) motor cycle riders and (b) pillion passengers in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by police authority area. [188396]
§ Mr. JamiesonNumbers of fatalities of two wheeled motor vehicle riders and pillion passengers by police authority area for 1999 to 2003 are given in the following table.
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TWMV riders and passenger fatalities by police authority area: GB 1999–2003 Fatalities Polite force Casualty type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Metropolitan police Riders 54 53 70 62 61 Passengers 1 3 0 4 2 Cumbria Riders 5 9 7 8 7 Passengers 0 0 1 0 0 Lancashire Riders 15 15 8 13 18 Passengers 0 0 0 1 0 Merseyside Riders 4 14 7 12 6 Passengers 0 2 1 3 0 Greater Manchester Riders 10 9 6 8 15 Passengers 0 2 0 0 0 Cheshire Riders 14 13 14 11 17 Passengers 2 1 1 1 0 Northumbria Riders 6 7 8 10 11 Passengers 0 0 2 0 1 Durham Riders 2 4 4 4 8 Passengers 0 0 0 1 1 North Yorkshire Riders 12 17 12 22 26 Passengers 0 0 1 1 2 West Yorkshire Riders 15 19 18 14 17 Passengers 1 0 1 1 2 South Yorkshire Riders 7 15 7 12 10 Passengers 0 1 0 0 2 Humberside Riders 13 6 7 5 7 Passengers 0 0 0 0 3 Cleveland Riders 2 4 1 1 2 Passengers 0 0 0 0 I West Midlands Riders 16 8 9 11 21 Passengers 0 1 0 0 1 Staffordshire Riders 7 12 7 13 15 Passengers 0 0 0 1 1 West Mercia Riders 22 22 16 6 15 Passengers 0 1 1 1 0 Warwickshire Riders 6 10 5 6 11 Passengers 1 1 0 0 1 Derbyshire Riders 15 15 11 15 16 Passengers 1 0 1 2 0 Nottinghamshire Riders 12 8 22 13 14 Passengers 0 1 3 0 0 Lincolnshire Riders 17 12 13 11 14 Passengers 0 2 0 1 0
Leicestershire Riders 17 7 12 16 9 Passengers 2 1 3 0 1 Northamptonshire Riders 12 9 7 7 13 Passengers 2 1 0 0 0 Cambridgeshire Riders 5 11 7 8 9 Passengers 1 0 0 0 0 Norfolk Riders 10 17 9 10 14 Passengers 0 3 0 1 0 Suffolk Riders 9 7 5 5 10 Passengers 0 0 1 0 0 Bedfordshire Riders 5 7 10 7 4 Passengers 1 0 0 0 0 Hertfordshire Riders 7 8 10 10 10 Passengers 1 0 0 0 0 Essex Riders 16 16 30 20 24 Passengers 0 1 0 0 1 Thames Valley Riders 23 28 25 33 36 Passengers 2 0 2 0 0 Hampshire Riders 17 17 13 19 30 Passengers 1 2 1 2 1 Surrey Riders 16 12 11 16 11 Passengers 1 0 1 1 0 Kent Riders 19 26 12 24 19 Passengers 0 1 2 3 0 Sussex Riders 9 12 17 21 18 Passengers 1 3 0 1 3 City of London Riders 1 1 2 1 0 Passengers 0 0 0 0 0 Devon and Riders 14 20 15 21 17 Cornwall Passengers 0 0 0 1 1 Avon and Somerset Riders 13 13 19 15 11 Passengers 0 0 0 1 0 Gloucestershire Riders 4 7 6 7 8 Passengers 0 1 0 0 1 Wiltshire Riders 9 9 7 6 9 Passengers 0 0 2 0 0 Dorset Riders 9 10 4 6 13 Passengers 0 0 1 0 0 North Wales Riders 10 9 10 7 17 Passengers 1 2 0 0 1 Gwent Riders 2 4 4 1 1 Passengers 1 0 0 0 0 South Wales Riders 10 7 4 9 6 Passengers 1 0 2 1 0 Dyfed-Powys Riders 5 6 15 8 17 Passengers 0 0 1 1 0 Northern Riders 1 11 6 2 9 Passengers 1 0 0 0 0 Grampian Riders 6 6 13 11 6 Passengers 0 0 0 0 0 Tayside Riders 2 2 3 4 3 Passengers 0 0 0 0 1 Fife Riders 1 2 3 5 5 Passengers 0 1 0 0 0 Lothian and Riders 4 5 4 6 8 Borders Passengers 0 1 0 0 0 Central Riders 2 2 1 6 3 Passengers 0 0 0 0 0 Strathclyde Riders 12 10 15 10 12 Passengers 0 0 1 0 1 Dumfries and Riders 1 0 3 2 2 Galloway Passengers 0 0 0 0 0 Great Britain Riders 525 573 554 580 665 Passengers 22 32 29 29 28
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the main motor cyclist associations on accident prevention. [188397]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Advisory Group on Motorcycling, which I Chaired, discussed motorcycling safety in considerable depth, among other issues. The Group included the British Motorcyclists Federation, the Motorcycle Action Group, the Motorcycle Industry 1395W Association, the Motorcycle Retailers Association, the Motorcycle Rider Training Association and the Despatch Association.
The "Advisory Group on Motorcycling: Final Report to Government" was published in August and is available in the House Library. It makes 16 suggestions and 38 recommendations to Government. A number of these concern improving safety and helping to prevent accidents. We are considering them carefully in the context of preparing a national strategy for motorcycling, which we hope to have developed before the end of the year.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with interested parties on banning the carriage of child pillion passengers on motorcycles. [188398]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have had no such discussions. Regulations are already in place to ensure that passengers of any age or size can be carried safely, when they are complied with. These include a requirement for passengers to wear a securely fastened safety helmet and to sit astride a properly fixed seat, with their feet reaching suitable supports or rests. Only motorcyclists who have passed a motorcycle test may carry passengers.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the final report of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling; and if he will make a statement in response to its recommendations. [188448]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Government welcomes this Report. It concludes the work of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling set up by my Department, which was established to consider the role of motorcycling within an integrated transport policy, including important issues such as safety and environmental impact.
The Report contains 38 recommendations and 16 suggestions covering a range of issues. These are designed to make motorcycling safer and to improve the motorcycling experience. The Government are considering them carefully in the context of preparing a national strategy for motorcycling, which we hope to have developed before the end of the year.