Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of tourist vehicles that have approached the Port of Dover via the A20 in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow by vehicle type for each major road link in Great Britain. Traffic counts do not establish trip purpose.
The table below provides a breakdown of the (a) average daily flow by (b) year since 2010 for all vehicles split by type. The data is provided for the closest major road link on the A20 approaching the Port of Dover (Count Point No. 8107).
Average Daily Flow Estimates of All Motor Vehicles by type at Count Point 8107 on the eastbound A20 – 2010 to 20171
Year | Average Daily Flow of Cars and Taxis | Average Daily Flow of Light Goods Vehicles | Average Daily Flow of Heavy Goods Vehicles |
2010 | 7,787 | 1,244 | 1,781 |
2011 | 7,748 | 1,283 | 1,745 |
2012 | 7,715 | 1,232 | 1,598 |
2013 | 7,671 | 1,246 | 1,508 |
2014 | 7,879 | 1,333 | 1,302 |
2015 | 7,735 | 1,402 | 1,293 |
2016 | 7,966 | 1,514 | 1,276 |
2017 | 7,963 | 1,613 | 1,310 |
Year | Average Daily Flow of Buses and Coaches | Average Daily Flow of Two Wheeled Motor Vehicles | Average Daily Flow of All Motor Vehicles |
2010 | 151 | 87 | 11,050 |
2011 | 151 | 92 | 11,019 |
2012 | 162 | 83 | 10,790 |
2013 | 153 | 83 | 10,662 |
2014 | 147 | 79 | 10,740 |
2015 | 146 | 81 | 10,656 |
2016 | 149 | 84 | 10,989 |
2017 | 152 | 85 | 11,123 |
1 DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others.
Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:
https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints
Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of road accidents on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Port of Dover in each year since 2010.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The number of reported road accidents involving personal injury on the A2 between the Lydden junction and the Port of Dover between 2010 and 2017 is given in the table below.
Number of reported road accidents on the A2 (between the Lydden junction and the Port of Dover)1, 2010 to 2017
Year | Number of accidents |
2010 | 19 |
2011 | 21 |
2012 | 16 |
2013 | 26 |
2014 | 17 |
2015 | 17 |
2016 | 18 |
2017 | 15 |
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| Source: DfT Stats19 |
1. Includes all the slip roads on and off at each of the junctions. |
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Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles that have travelled on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Whitfield roundabout in each year since 2010 per (a) day on average and (b) year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department produces annual estimates of the average daily flow of vehicles for each major road link, for every year in Great Britain. The Department does not produce estimates of the average flow of vehicles per year for each major road link. Traffic is counted at one point on the A2 between the Lydden traffic lights and the Whitfield roundabout at Count Point No. 6015.
The table below provides a breakdown of average daily flow of vehicles for Count Point No. 6015 for each year since 2010.
Average Daily Flow Estimates of Motor Vehicles at Count Point 6015 on the A2 – 2010 to 2017
Year | Average Daily Flow | Count Method1 |
2010 | 16,717 | Estimated |
2011 | 16,694 | Counted |
2012 | 16,652 | Estimated |
2013 | 16,629 | Estimated |
2014 | 17,010 | Estimated |
2015 | 17,732 | Estimated |
2016 | 18,334 | Estimated |
2017 | 16,454 | Counted |
1DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others. Figures having an estimation method of “Counted” are likely to be more accurate than those marked as “Estimated”.
Further detailed information on vehicle flows, including the local road network, can be accessed via the Department’s interactive map here:
https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/manualcountpoints
Contextual information can be found on the data.gov.uk website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether a ferry route could be re-established between Dover and Zeebrugge; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In principle a route between Dover and Zeebrugge could certainly be re-established. This is a commercial matter for any prospective ferry operator and the ports concerned.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer 12 February 2019 to Question number 217557 on undocumented migrants, what estimate he has made of the number of migrants entering the UK illegally in each year since 2010.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Border Force do not routinely publish this level of data on clandestines, as this could compromise immigration controls and impact on national security.
I refer the Rt. Hon member for Dover to the answer of 12 February which states:
The Home Office works closely with partners in the UK and overseas to strike people smuggling at source – identifying and dismantling the organ-ised crime groups that facilitate illegal immigration. Additionally, the UK works abroad to reduce factors that may push or force people to attempt such journeys - through creating jobs, tackling modern slavery, providing education and delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance in response to conflicts and natural disasters.
In November a new UK-France Coordination and Information Centre opened in Calais to strengthen our joint efforts to tackle all kinds of crimi-nality at the border. Border Force is working alongside Police Aux Fron-tieres as part of a 24/7 operation to help prevent illegal attempts to cross the shared border and exchange intelligence between UK and French agencies to combat cross-border criminality.
Despite our successes in preventing attempts to enter the UK illegally, we are not complacent. We will continue to work closely with our French coun-terparts to maintain border security and keep legitimate passengers and trade moving.
At juxtaposed controls and ports around the country, Border Force officers use some of the most advanced detection technology available to find and stop migrants attempting to reach the UK illegally.
We have also invested tens of millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance border security, with all freight vehicles entering the UK screened for people being smuggled into the UK using a range of techniques, which include using carbon dioxide detectors and motion sensors as well as sniff-er dogs to detect clandestine on board lorries.
We have taken steps to address the possibility that there may be a dis-placement of clandestine migrant activity towards smaller and less fre-quented ports, as enhanced controls at the juxtaposed ports have become increasingly effective.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 217557 on undocumented migrants, what proportion of freight vehicles are screened for people being smuggled into the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
I refer the Rt. Honourable member for Dover to the answer of 12 February which states:
We have also invested tens of millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance border security, with all freight vehicles entering the UK screened using a range of techniques, which include using carbon dioxide detectors and motion sensors as well as sniffer dogs to detect clandestine on board lorries.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the action plan that he agreed with the French Interior Minister on 24 January 2019.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK-France Migration Committee is comprised of policy experts and senior officials from both contracting states and is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Sandhurst Treaty and ensuring a high level of cooperation on border security and migration issues. The membership is not fixed, attendees vary over time and correlate to the issues being discussed. The Committee is normally chaired by the Director General responsible for immigration policy of the hosting state.
The package of €50 million was committed by the UK to implement the terms of the Sandhurst Treaty. This funding package has been allocated to a variety of projects, including improvements to security infrastructure at the northern French ports, cooperation in facilitating returns, improving access to French domestic asylum procedures and ensuring that vulnerable migrants are provided with the support and care that they require. It is expected that the full €50 million will have been allocated to projects before the end of this financial year. More precise details of individual projects cannot be provided for reasons of security.
A copy of the Joint Action Plan agreed with the French Government is publicly available on gov.uk, at the following address:
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218267, to which projects (a) the €42.5 million has been committed and (b) the remainder of that funding will be committed.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK-France Migration Committee is comprised of policy experts and senior officials from both contracting states and is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Sandhurst Treaty and ensuring a high level of cooperation on border security and migration issues. The membership is not fixed, attendees vary over time and correlate to the issues being discussed. The Committee is normally chaired by the Director General responsible for immigration policy of the hosting state.
The package of €50 million was committed by the UK to implement the terms of the Sandhurst Treaty. This funding package has been allocated to a variety of projects, including improvements to security infrastructure at the northern French ports, cooperation in facilitating returns, improving access to French domestic asylum procedures and ensuring that vulnerable migrants are provided with the support and care that they require. It is expected that the full €50 million will have been allocated to projects before the end of this financial year. More precise details of individual projects cannot be provided for reasons of security.
A copy of the Joint Action Plan agreed with the French Government is publicly available on gov.uk, at the following address:
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February to Question 218262 on UK-France Migration Committee if he will publish the membership of the Committee from each of the Contracting States.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK-France Migration Committee is comprised of policy experts and senior officials from both contracting states and is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Sandhurst Treaty and ensuring a high level of cooperation on border security and migration issues. The membership is not fixed, attendees vary over time and correlate to the issues being discussed. The Committee is normally chaired by the Director General responsible for immigration policy of the hosting state.
The package of €50 million was committed by the UK to implement the terms of the Sandhurst Treaty. This funding package has been allocated to a variety of projects, including improvements to security infrastructure at the northern French ports, cooperation in facilitating returns, improving access to French domestic asylum procedures and ensuring that vulnerable migrants are provided with the support and care that they require. It is expected that the full €50 million will have been allocated to projects before the end of this financial year. More precise details of individual projects cannot be provided for reasons of security.
A copy of the Joint Action Plan agreed with the French Government is publicly available on gov.uk, at the following address:
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 218271 on Surveillance: English Channel, on what pages of each Home Office annual report and accounts is the information for each year to be found.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We do not routinely publish breakdowns of operational departmental spending. The information we do publish can be found in Chapter Five of the Departmental Core Data Tables 2010-11 and 2011-12, in the Annex to the Departmental Core Data Tables 2013-14 and 2014-15 and the Parliamentary Accountability and Audit Report and the Financial Statements sections of 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.