Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the drink-drive limit to 50mg alcohol per 100ml blood.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government has no plans to lower the drink drive limit. We believe that rigorous enforcement and serious penalties for drink drivers are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink driving limit.
A fundamental review on drink and drug driving was commissioned in 2009. My Hon Friend can read the coalition government’s response here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-governments-response-to-the-reports-by-sir-peter-north-cbe-qc-and-the-transport-select-committee-on-drink-and-drug-driving
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many deaths were caused in Wiltshire by people driving over the prescribed alcohol limit in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Column i) in the table below gives the number of road deaths in reported road accidents in Wiltshire (including Swindon) in which at least one driver was known to be over the drink drive limit. This information is derived from breath tests carried out at the scene and blood alcohol content (BAC) levels from coroners’ reports.
In some cases drivers may not have stopped at the scene and therefore were not given a breath test. In other cases drivers may have been killed but the Department has not been supplied BAC levels by the coroner. It is possible that some of these drivers could have been over the alcohol limit but it is impossible to know. The total number of people killed in accidents involving at least one driver in this group is provided in column ii). Column iii) gives the total number of road deaths in Wiltshire for context.
i) Number of road deaths in reported road accidents in which at least one motor vehicle driver known to be over the alcohol limit and ii) road deaths in accidents where it was not possible to determine whether a driver was over the alcohol limit: Wiltshire, 2010-2014
Year | i) Known | ii) Unknown | iii) Total road deaths |
2010 | 4 | 4 | 31 |
2011 | 3 | 10 | 32 |
2012 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
2013 | 4 | 1 | 25 |
2014 | 11 | 2 | 31 |
Data for 2015 will be available in August 2017.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on transport infrastructure projects in Chippenham constituency in each year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Data on spend on transport infrastructure projects is not available at the level of Chippenham.
However, Wiltshire Council is responsible for local transport infrastructure in Chippenham, including local roads. The funding allocated to Wiltshire Council for local highways infrastructure and other transport schemes between 2010-11 and 2015-16 is listed in Table 1 below:
Table 1
Year | Integrated Transport Block* £million | Highways Maintenance Block* £million | Additional Funding** £million | Total £million |
2010/11 | 3.286 | 12.615 | 1.466 | 17.367 |
2011/12 | 2.918 | 14,491 | 3.741 | 21.150 |
2012/13 | 2.668 | 13.813 |
| 16.481 |
2013/14 | 2.668 | 15.369 | 3.010 | 21.047 |
2014/15 | 3.752 | 13.519 | 3.063 | 20.334 |
2015/16 | 2.181 | 16.599 |
| 18.780 |
Total | 17.473 | 86.406 | 11.280 |
|
*includes top ups
** following snow and flooding
- Partly funded under the Department’s ‘Access for All’ scheme, £2.2m to install a bridge and lifts at Chippenham Station. The station officially opened by Network Rail on 22nd January 2016.
- The A350 north of Chippenham from Badger Roundabout to Chequers Junction, A350 Chippenham Bypass is being upgraded to a dual carriageway. The improvements will help reduce journey times and ease the congestion around this area. Estimated to be completed and opened by August 2018.
- A429 Malmesbury Access scheme - £1.4m for transport improvements to improve traffic flow and facilitate the expansion of Dyson at their Malmesbury site.
- Chippenham station hub - £16m for the redevelopment of Chippenham station including enhanced parking and retail offer and new railway crossing.
- A350 Dualling Chippenham Bypass - £8.8m for dualling the A350 north of Chippenham from Badger Roundabout to Chequers Junction.
Figures are available for the South West for total public sector transport spend as listed in Table 2:
Table 2 Total Public Sector Transport Spend for the South West
£million | |||||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Total | 1,115 | 997 | 987 | 928 | 1,047 |
Current | 442 | 396 | 368 | 295 | 279 |
Capital | 673 | 601 | 619 | 633 | 767 |
Note: includes spend by Central Government, Agencies and Local Government.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make additional funding available for battery and fuel cell research and development.
Answered by John Hayes
The government allocated more than £600 million to support the uptake, development and manufacture of ultra low emission vehicles in the 2015 Spending Review. Our comprehensive package of support includes funding provision for research and development projects, and the scope of a new competition launched on 5 September 2016 includes battery and fuel cells.
Further details are available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-competition-low-emission-vehicle-systems-idp13.
The UK already provides one the most comprehensive support packages for ultra low emission vehicles anywhere in the world. We shall keep the funding requirements for the OLEV program under constant review.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide additional funding for battery and fuel cell electric vehicles research and development.
Answered by John Hayes
The government allocated more than £600 million to support the uptake, development and manufacture of ultra low emission vehicles in the 2015 Spending Review. Our comprehensive package of support includes funding provision for research and development projects, and the scope of a new competition launched on 5 September 2016 includes battery and fuel cells.
Further details are available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-competition-low-emission-vehicle-systems-idp13.
The UK already provides one the most comprehensive support packages for ultra low emission vehicles anywhere in the world. We shall keep the funding requirements for the OLEV program under constant review.