Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many convictions have been secured against cyclists for (a) cycling on pavements, (b) riding through red traffic lights and (c) failing to display lights at night for each of the l
Answer
This issue falls outside of Defra’s remit. Policy relating to cycling convictions is the responsibility of the Department for Transport, while the Ministry of Justice holds data on the number of convictions. I would therefore encourage the Rt Hon Member to direct his question to the relevant Department, which will be better placed to provide the information he is seeking.
Verdict: RED (15/100)
The reply did not provide the conviction figures requested. It explained that the question falls outside the responding department's remit and pointed the Member to other bodies: the Department for Transport for cycling-conviction policy and the Ministry of Justice for conviction data. None of the three parts (pavement cycling, red-light offences, and failing to display lights at night) received a substantive or specific answer, so the Member would likely need to submit a follow-up question or contact the referred departments.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| How many convictions have been secured against cyclists for cycling on pavements, for each year in the period specified (the period is truncated in the question as provided)? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply declines on remit grounds and refers the Member to other departments, noting that the Ministry of Justice holds conviction data, but it gives no figures or substantive answer on convictions for cycling on pavements. |
| How many convictions have been secured against cyclists for riding through red traffic lights, for each year in the period specified (the period is truncated in the question as provided)? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply identifies the Department for Transport as responsible for cycling-conviction policy and the Ministry of Justice as the data holder, but it provides no per-year counts for red-light convictions. |
| How many convictions have been secured against cyclists for failing to display lights at night, for each year in the period specified (the period is truncated in the question as provided)? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply gives no figures on convictions for failing to display lights at night and only points the Member to the departments that hold the relevant data. |