Cyclists: Safety

Lord Butler of Brockwell Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd March 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Kramer]

As my noble friend knows, central government made £15 million available to London to deal with some of the worst junctions. That has been important and I obviously want to see that implemented. We have a wide range of approaches to dealing with issues around HGVs, including new rules that will mean that cabs are safer and vision is better. We are working on the technical standards that will apply to those rules.

[Lord Butler of Brockwell (CB)]

My Lords, please will the Minister address the question raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Scott of Foscote, about the case for regulation to prevent cyclists cycling with earplugs in their ears?

[Baroness Kramer]

My Lords, enforceability is always absolutely crucial. I hesitate to tell cyclists exactly what they should do when there is so much scope for us to make improvements in other areas, and I suggest that we pursue those. Obviously, cycle training matters and addresses many of those issues, and we have invested a great deal in Bikeability.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Butler of Brockwell Excerpts

Tuesday 9th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Campbell-Savours]

My Lords—

[Lord Butler of Brockwell]

My Lords, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has pointed out that since 2006 there have been eight separate Secretaries of State—more than one a year—and since 2001 there have been six different Permanent Secretaries at the department. In view of that, are the Government surprised when things go wrong in a department?

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, if that is the cause of the problem, I am sure that Sam Laidlaw will identify it.