New clause 7 - National speed limit for villages
Road Safety Bill
3:39 pm
Ms Charlotte Atkins (Assistant Whip (funded by HM Treasury); Staffordshire Moorlands, Labour)
I certainly understand the concerns that give rise to the new clause. I represent a rural constituency with many villages that are clamouring for a 30 mph speed limit. However, there is no need for the new clause, simply because local authorities already have the sole responsibility for introducing speed limits on their roads. I appreciate that many local authorities do not decide on a 30 mph speed limit in a particular village—perhaps the right hon. Gentleman's point about an audit is appropriate—but it is very much down to them to make the decision on the basis of local circumstances. I appreciate that there ought to be flexibility. Local authorities may choose a speed limit from 20 to 70 mph without the need for any authorisation from the Department or the Secretary of State.
The definition of ''village'' in the new clause is the same as the definition that the Department for Transport adopts in its traffic advisory leaflet, issued in January 2004. Obviously, great minds think alike, so there is no problem with that. The issue is whether the local authority, and indeed the village itself, wants a 30 mph speed limit. In my experience, most villages do. Indeed, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), assisted me with a campaign for a village. As a result, we now have a dozen speed cameras—perhaps it is a little over the top—along a road through three villages to ensure that 30, 40 and 50 mph speed limits are observed. The villages are protected by speed cameras.