HC Deb 27 February 1964 vol 690 cc619-20
26. Mr. Mapp

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what co-operative action is taken between the Metropolitan and other police authorities in order to check overall journey times of vehicles subject to vehicle speed limits.

Mr. Woodhouse

All police forces cooperate closely when making inquiries into possible offences against the law and collaboration arrangements operate between forces policing a number of main trunk routes, but any general check on the lines suggested by the hon. Member would be impracticable.

Mr. Mapp

The hon. Gentleman says that it is impracticable, but is he aware that that is not so in the case of speed limit vehicles and that overall checks of journey times involving cooperative action by the police are factual? He should ask the forces to think of the possibility of doing this. Will he look at the article in The Times of 11th February and ask his right hon. Friend to do something about this matter?

Mr. Woodhouse

We have consulted the police on this matter, but if the hon. Member will reflect on the practical difficulties here, such as the fact that speed limits vary at different points on different roads and that on the motorways there is no speed limit at all except for towed vehicles, he will realise that it would be an impracticable procedure for the police to operate.