HL Deb 26 March 1969 vol 300 cc1261-2
LORD FERRIER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the Statement on speed limits of March 5, they will encourage local authorities to superimpose 40 m.p.h. limits at each end of existing 30 m.p.h. limits in locations where the latter are being treated with particular contempt.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES)

My Lords, my right honourable friends the Minister of Transport and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales intend to issue new criteria which will allow some use of such transitional lengths. In cases where a 30 m.p.h. limit is widely disregarded the better course may be to review the limit on the road as a whole, and to consider whether it should be raised on the whole road, or a substantial part of it, to a level where most drivers will accept the need for it and observe it.

LORD FERRIER

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. Will the noble Lord's right honourable friend look into the long time-lag that occurs between recommendations of the local authority and approval from the Ministry or from the Secretary of State, in order to keep that time-lag to a minimum? I further ask the noble Lord whether, if this proposal that a 40 m.p.h. "count down" is to be imposed, his right honourable friend will suggest to the Road Research Laboratory that they might investigate the effectiveness or otherwise of such a "count down" limit?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, in answer to the noble Lord's first question, I will certainly investigate whether there is an unnecessary time-lag. I think the noble Lord will accept that time-lag there must be.

LORD FERRIER

Yes.

LORD HUGHES

On the second point, I will draw that to the attention of my right honourable friend.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, did the noble Lord use, in his original Answer, the words, "a new criteria"?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, if I had ever been tempted to do so, the presence of the noble Lord would have been sufficient restraint. I did not do so.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that we are already suffering from a surfeit of speed limits, and that any additional limit will only add to the confusion and not help to ease it?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, this would not add to the number of speed limits. There are already 30 m.p.h. limits and 40 m.p.h. limits.