To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 March (HL6233), what is the reason for the decline in the number of roads policing officers; and whether this was due to (1) the trends in road accident figures, or (2) representations of organisations promoting road safety.

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 March (HL6233), whether they have considered any studies of the deployment of roads policing officers that assesses the time spent (1) attending accidents, and (2) preparing court papers, against the time spent on patrols aimed at deterring unacceptable behaviour on the road network.

Decisions regarding the number of road policing officers and how they are deployed are a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables.

They are best placed to understand how to deal with all the issues for which the force is responsible, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.