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Roads: Parking on Footpaths
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people have been charged with parking their cars on the footpath in Belfast in each year since 2003. [HL1225]
Lord Rooker: The information requested is not available.
The specific offence of parking on the footpath does not exist. In recording offences, no distinction is made between offences committed on the road or on the footway.
Smoking: Cigarette Packets
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will introduce a ban on the sale of cigarettes in packets of fewer than 20 cigarettes, similar to the ban being introduced in the Republic of Ireland, to discourage teenagers from starting to smoke. [HL822]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): A ban on cigarettes in packs of fewer than 20 is not currently government policy. The department will continue to monitor evidence on the effectiveness of introducing such a measure.
22 Feb 2007 : Column WA276
Special Advisers
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
By what means, on what basis and in what circumstances is the commitment by the Government in their response to Recommendation 19 of the 9th Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life to make Ministers personally accountable to Parliament for the disciplining of special advisers to be exercised. [HL1259]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The responsibility for the management and conduct of special advisers, including discipline, rests with the Minister who made the appointment. The Ministerial Code makes clear that individual Ministers will be accountable to Parliament for their actions and decisions in respect of their special advisers.
Transport: Seat Belts
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they will take in response to the mid-term review of the European Road Safety Action Programme 2006/2112 (INI) in respect of the requirement to wear seat belts in areas where fatal and serious injury accidents are rising. [HL2086]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Seat-belt wearing has been a legal requirement in most vehicles for many years. Observed wearing rates are very high in cars and are improving in vans. The department campaigns to improve seat-belt wearing rates through publicity. The police are responsible for enforcement, and in England and Wales in 2004 they issued some 200,000 fixed-penalty notices to those not using seat belts. However, in many cases, rather than prosecute the police prefer to educate drivers about the need to use seat belts.
The UK is implementing Directive 2003/20/EC in full. It updates the requirements for children to use type-approved child seats or boosters and makes seat-belt wearing compulsory for those in the rear of buses and coaches where seat belts are fitted. Implementation will be completed for children under 14 years in buses/coaches following further consultation about who should be legally responsible for ensuring that they use seat belts.
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