To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many emergency service vehicles were involved in road traffic accidents in the UK during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many of these accidents occurred while vehicles were responding to emergency calls. [122009]

Information from the Department's database of personal injury road accidents in Great Britain shows that 344 ambulances and 88 fire engines were involved in road traffic accidents involving personal injury during 2001. It is not possible to distinguish those that were responding to an emergency call at the time of the accident. Corresponding information for police vehicles is not available from this database.On a different basis, information on the total number of accidents involving police vehicles and fire appliances is available from the Home Office (for police vehicles), and the Scottish Fire Service Inspectorate and ODPM's Fire, Health and Safety Directorate respectively. Figures for the financial year 2001–02 are given in the following table. The figures relate to all accidents, whether or not personal injury was involved. The corresponding number of vehicles involved is not known. Comparable information for accidents involving ambulances is not available.