Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to lower the blood alcohol content limit for driving.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
This Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are currently considering policy options in this area.
Since the general election, the Department has also begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 19 March (HL5704), whether they plan to review the Coalition Government’s policy and to seek funding from the drinks industry to fund the Department for Transport’s drink driving campaigns.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Sources of funding for campaign spend are kept under review but we currently have no plans to introduce a levy on the drinks industry to fund the drink drive campaign.
Instead our aim is to develop partnerships with brands who can provide incentives to help drivers avoid alcohol if they are driving, or to help those people who are drinking get home safely without driving. To date we have secured the following partnerships so far for our 2015 campaign:
- Coca Cola, who will be running their designated driver campaign, rewarding designated drivers with a buy-one-get-one-free offer on coke drinks in thousands of venues during the festive season.
- Budweiser who also promote and celebrate the important role of designated driver.
- Johnnie Walker, who ask drivers to take a pledge to never drink and drive, in return for discounted safe journeys home.
These initiatives are all completely funded by the partner and add significant value to the campaign.
We will continue to seek further partnerships with commercial brands who can extend the reach and impact of our campaigns.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have asked their partners in the Public Health Responsibility Deal to contribute towards the costs of the Department for Transport's drink driving campaigns; if not, why not; and whether they have considered doing this for the 2015 drink driving campaign.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
We have not sought funding from any of the Public Health Responsibility Deal partners but a number of them do already support our drink drive campaign in other ways. Our aim is to develop partnerships with brands who can provide in-context solutions or ‘nudges’ to help drivers avoid alcohol if they are driving, or to help those people who are drinking get home safely without driving. These initiatives are all completely funded by the partner.
One example is Coca Cola, who for several years have run a designated driver campaign, rewarding designated drivers with a buy-one-get-one-free offer on coke drinks in thousands of venues during the festive season.
Last year we developed a new partnership with drinks company Diageo. They supported our campaign by using their Johnnie Walker ambassadors, Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnusson, to ask drivers to take a pledge to never drink and drive, in return for discounted taxi rides.
We also work closely with drinks company AB InBev. Their Budweiser Designated Driver campaign, promotes and celebrates the important role of designated driver.
We will continue to seek further partnerships with commercial brands who can extend the reach and impact of our campaigns.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure on the Department for Transport's drink driving campaigns in (1) 2010, (2) 2011, (3) 2012, (4) 2013, and (5) 2014.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Expenditure on the Department’s THINK! Road Safety don’t drink and drive campaign for the last four financial years is listed below.
Drink Driving campaign | Expenditure |
2010-11 | £381,946 |
2011-12 | £524,265 |
2012-13 | £2,633,344 |
2013-14 | £1,057,632 |