RT HON JOHN SPELLAR MP, MR DENNIS ROBERTS AND MR IAN HOLMES

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2003

  400. I see. So when we get a consultation document, unless we actually see the heading in the budget accounts, we should not take any notice?
  (Mr Spellar) I have seen no evidence of a hypothecated sum of money coming from vehicle excise duty directly into our Department.

  401. Under our new cross-cutting techniques, what calculations do you do across the NHS of people who suffer from pavement falls?
  (Mr Roberts) The calculations for the NHS are part of the road safety calculations, and we generally estimate the total cost of road safety accidents on the NHS.

  402. You see, the Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People says that 10 times as many visually impaired people go to hospital due to pavement falls than as a result of road accidents. That is really fairly hefty. Is there any responsibility on either you or the Department of Health to look closely at the statistics and work out the real cost?
  (Mr Roberts) I think I will have to come back to you on that, I am not sure.

  403. While you are doing it, can you work out if there is any estimate of what happens to the effect on the same group of people of having difficulty in accessing public transport and local services. Particularly, will you look at falls and any accurate information, because most accident and emergency departments will have not only fairly clear assessments, but they will have a very clear view of what actually caused the accident, and I think that would be very helpful? Can I say to you, Minister, that I think the Committee have now taken some extremely interesting evidence, not only from local authority but also from those using the highway and the pavements. There is not only very little co-ordination but there appear to be very little attempts, on the Government's part, to look at ways in which immediate improvements can be brought about by getting not only better legislation in place, but also insisting that the utilities behave rather more responsibly than they appear to do in most instances. Can we assume that the Government is not only aware of the implications of this, but is looking urgently at things in which they can be improved?
  (Mr Spellar) I had hoped, in my earlier responses, I had given an indication on those lines.

  Chairman: You were certainly giving us a view of how you hoped to do something, Minister, and that is always encouraging to the Committee. Thank you very much.