§ Mr. MaxtonI beg to move amendment No. 43, in page 26, line 43, leave out 'or' and insert 'and'.
This amendment follows the debate in Committee last week when concern was expressed about the implication in the clause as it stands that road humps are permitted in two sets of circumstances—one in which the speed limit is 30 mph or less and one in which no such limit applies. I am sure that it is not the Government's intention to imply that humps might be permitted on a road with a speed limit 893 of 40, 60 or 70 mph. Indeed, concern has been expressed that even 30 mph is too high a limit and that damage could be done if vehicles hit the humps at that speed. The use of the word "or" rather than "and" suggests that humps may be placed on a road with a higher speed limit. The amendment seeks to resolve that difficulty. I hope that the Minister will accept it.
§ Mr. McQuarrieI shall not delay the House long as the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) has put the case very clearly. I simply wish to point out that if the speed limit is not reduced there will be a danger not just to the vehicles but to the people in them. As I am sure all hon. Members know from experience, it is easy to forget that the humps are there, especially in the evening, so if the speed limit is too high there may be great danger to the occupants of the vehicle. I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will give serious consideration to the amendment.
§ Mr. Allan StewartI am grateful to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) and to my hon. Friend the Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. McQuarrie) for an opportunity to explain the position. As the hon. Gentleman said, clause 36 allows a roads authority to
construct road humps in a road maintainable by them if … the road is subject to a …a speed limit … of 30 miles per hour … or … the road humps are authoritised.In that case the roads are authorised specially by the Secretary of State.If and when my hon. Friend decides to activate the Bill's provisions on road humps—they were the subject of a debate initiated by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Craigen) in Committee—he will ensure that regulations are made under clause 38 to prescribe construction and maintenance requirements for the humps. Such regulations will take full account of safety factors, to which my hon. Friend has referred. They will represent the control that hon. Members wish to see exercised over road humps.
The special authorisation by the Secretary of State for which the Bill provides relates to exceptional circumstances—for example, where the regulations are not to be complied with for any reason or, in theory, where the road is not subject to a 30 mph speed limit. The point of the subsection is to deal with the exceptional circumstances that might arise and where it would be sensible to allow for the construction of road humps.
§ Mr. CraigenI am grateful to the Minister. I take it that he is giving a wink and a nod so that, when the House considers the regulations, he will bear in mind points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) as well as the contribution by the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. McQuarrie). The hon. Gentleman knows that I believe that there should not be a proliferation of road humps all over the country.
§ Mr. StewartI am happy to give the assurance asked for by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Craigen). We should clearly expect there to be few road humps. I hope that the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) will accept that his amendment is unnecessary.
§ Mr. MaxtonThe Minister's answer is unsatisfactory. I cannot imagine circumstances in which road humps will be put on to de-limited roads, but if that is done we would 894 be creating a dangerous circumstance. I am unhappy about the outcome of our discussions, but at this time of the evening there are insufficient hon. Members in the House for it to be practical to force the amendment to a Division. Therefore, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.