To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was allocated to research into improving safety in each mode of transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and through which routes money has been allocated. (101878)

Transport research programmes cover a wide range of issues, including safety. We do not allocate separate funding to improving safety, except where entire programmes are focussed solely on safety issues (the only example being Road User Safety Division which has an annual research budget of around £4.3 million).

Research funding is included in the Department's Evidence and research strategy¹. The strategy also identifies safety research issues and describes how we address them. Further details are on the Department's website (including individual projects through the research database²) and on the websites of the Highways Agency³ and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency⁴.

The Department and its agencies commission research through a wide range of research contractors, including industry, academia and public research establishments. We also contribute to European and other international research programmes.

¹ http://www.dft.gov.uk/ers

² http://www.rmd.dft.gov.uk

³ http://www.highways.gov.uk

⁴ http://www.mcga.gov.uk