HC Deb 20 March 1986 vol 94 cc398-9
4. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to seek to increase the number of prosecutions for motorway speeding offences.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The responsibility for enforcing speed limits on motorways and for deciding to prosecute rests with individual chief officers of police. The number of convictions has increased in recent years. Prevention, by highly visible deterrent patrols, is also an important part of police motorway practice.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Has my hon. Friend noticed, as he drives down the motorway, how often he is overtaken by buses and lorries greatly exceeding the speed limit? Is he aware that the tachograph, which is already fitted, can be used to provide reliable evidence of speeding and that that is already done on the continent? Will he bring in a similar system here; and, if not, why not?

Mr. Shaw

My hon. Friend will recall that my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker), when Minister of State, Department of Transport, announced in November 1985 that that Department would be investigating the fitting of speed governors on coaches, limiting them to 70 mph.

Mr. Madel

As engines and braking have improved so much in cars, should the Government not raise the speed limit to 80 mph for cars for an experimental period? That would deal with part of the problem that my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) has just mentioned in relation to buses and lorries.

Mr. Shaw

I am not clear whether my hon. Friend's suggestion is entirely fair and reasonable on the points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) in his original question relating to maintaining the speed limit and seeking to bring prosecutions to observe it.

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