Consultation on ceasing to collect a limited range of motor vehicle offences data, specifically:
- Conditional Offers of Fixed Penalty Notices for moving and stationary motor vehicle offences, and
- Decriminalised, civil penalty charge notices for parking infringements
2011 User Consultation and Review
August 2011
Contents
1. Background
2. Findings from the review
3. Costs
4. Conclusion and recommendations
Annex - Summary of user survey results
1. Background
The Criminal proceedings in Scotland publication contains a background dataset on motor vehicle offences. Much of the motor vehicle offence data is provided by police forces and local authorities.
Previous discussions with users, as well as information about web hits and data requests, has suggested that the usage of these data is low compared to other Scottish Government statistics and resources need to be allocated to those data where clear user need is known and user interest is greatest. As a result, it was agreed to consult the stakeholders for their views on our proposal to discontinue collection of these data.
This document outlines the results of that review and also confirms that we intend to cease production of the following tables of this dataset due to lack of demand.
- Table 3 - Police conditional offers for moving vehicle offences;
- Tables 8 and 9 - Police fixed penalty notices issued for stationary vehicle offences; and,
- Tables 10 and 11 - Local Authority penalty charge notices for parking infringements.
The remaining tables from this dataset (tables 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12) will be maintained offline and made available on request
2. Findings from the review
2.1 User Survey
A survey was issued to all ScotStat members who had registered their interest in criminal proceedings data and transport data, members of the publication's distribution list, data providers and policy colleagues, approximately 529 individuals. The survey was available for a six week period.
A total of 2 users, 4 non-users and 6 providers responded to the survey which, in itself, suggests a lack of interest in statistics relating to motor vehicle offences.
There was no objection to our proposal from non-users and providers who responded. The two users expressed some interest in table 3, but not tables 8, 9, 10 and 11. Follow up discussions with the two users reiterated that this may not be the best use of resources due to low level of interest in the data and are aware that we believe that the data presented in table 3 will continue to be collected by the current providers.
The survey questions issued and a summary of the responses received can be found in the annex.
2.2 Consultation with the Scottish Government Transport Scotland Directorate and Safety Camera Programme
Discussions with colleagues within the Scottish Government Transport Scotland Directorate and within the Safety Camera Programme indicated that they do not use or need the data concerned with these data collections.
The Safety Camera partnership now publishes in a new statistical release, a subset of data presented in Table 3 of the Criminal Proceedings additional dataset (on conditional offers for moving vehicle offences).
2.3 Other Key Findings
The online version of the 2009/10 Criminal Proceedings in Scotland publication was accessed 1,391 times within the first month of publication. The Motor Vehicle dataset was accessed 51 times within the first month of publication, 15 times by non Scottish Government users. It is not known whether those who accessed these motor vehicle datasets were interested in the tables under consideration here (tables 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11) or other motor vehicle dataset tables.
3. Costs
The collection of these data imposes a time and financial burden on the resources of the police forces and local authorities providing the data as well as our own staff who are required to collate the data and produce tables for the dataset. Although these costs are not great they do show an area where potential savings could be made, allowing resources to be focussed onto areas of greater use and interest.
Due to the providers using different systems to record and retrieve these data their time costs vary between 2 hours and 2 days.
Time taken by our own staff to collect, collate and analyse these data (based on the 2009-10 data collection exercise) is around 17 hours. Over the last couple of years the Scottish Government has reduced the amount of time spent analysing this data, prioritising instead the new areas of development highlighted as important by our stakeholders in our 2009 review. This shift in priorities is reflected in these cost estimates.
Based on the above information, the estimated total financial cost to respondents and ourselves in producing these data is around £1,500 per year (in current prices), the majority of which falls to the data providers.
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
The survey response confirmed the lack of use or interest in these data and reinforces our proposal to cease collection. It is believed that such data will continue to be collected by the providers and be available on request, specifically:
- Police conditional offers for moving vehicle offences (table 3) can be obtained on request directly from police forces, while the statistical bulletin "Key Scottish Safety Camera Programme Statistics" will provide national figures for conditional offers issues as a result of offences detected by safety cameras;
- Police fixed penalty notices issued for stationary vehicle offences (tables 8 and 9) can be obtained on request directly from police forces; and,
- Local authority penalty charge notices for parking infringements (tables 10 and 11) can be obtained on request directly from local authorities.
As a result of this consultation it is planned that the collection and publication of these data will cease forthwith, leaving the 2009-10 data as the last publication of these data tables. The remaining tables (tables 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12) will be maintained offline, to be supplied on request only.
Annex
Survey questions
1.1 The Scottish Government is intending to discontinue its collection of data on "Police conditional offers (of fixed penalties) for moving vehicle offences". Do you agree with this proposal?
1.2 If no, please let us know why you disagree.
2.1 The Scottish Government is intending to discontinue its collection of data on "Police fixed penalty notices issued for stationary vehicle offences". Do you agree with this proposal?
2.2 If no, please let us know why you disagree.
3.1 The Scottish Government is intending to discontinue its collection of data on "Local Authority penalty charge notices for parking infringements". Do you agree with this proposal?
3.2 If no, please let us know why you disagree.
Summary of stakeholder results
12 individuals responded to the survey (issued to over 529) - with the exception of two initial objections the remainder all agreed with our proposal to cease collection of these data presented in tables 3,8,9,10 and 11.
· Comments against:
'Speeding is a factor in approx one third of all road crashes. Although the Scottish Safety Partnership publishes data on speed violations this is only part of the overall picture on speeding drivers. As the Scottish Government is committed to "Go Safe on Scotland's Roads it's Everyone's Responsibility" Framework to 2020 it would be reasonable to retain the data in Table 3 Police conditional offers for moving vehicle offences.' 'Reluctantly agree on the basis that the info in Table 8 & 9 can be obtained by an FOI request if required. '
'We…would seek that the collection of data as currently occurs continues, as the information it provides can be used to shape future decision making on enforcement activity.'
· Comments in favour:
'This information can be gained from other sources and is not widely used by my Community Safety Partnership - we are more interested in road safety and prevention.'
'… are supportive of the proposal to cease collecting the data highlighted. We do not actively use the information … and as the Fixed Penalty's are still recorded … the information can be accessed if specifically required.'
'I have no strong opinion against no longer submitting the data. As a matter of normal work the required information is recorded should there be a need to resurrect the figures in the future.'
'only have an interest in Table 3 figures…. However, agree central collection of numbers by SG may not be worthwhile if little used and … expects other forces (and maybe ACPOS) would continue to collate figures even if not needed for the SG stats return.'