§ Sir D. Walker-Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider a relaxation of the criteria laid down by his Department in regard to speed limits in rural areas to meet cases where local residents are satisfied of the need, in the interest of safety, for speed limits on stretches of road which do not wholly satisfy the current criteria.
§ Mr. Carmichael:Advice given by the Department to local authorities covers special consideration for villages in rural areas but local authorities are free to seek further advice on difficult cases. I fear that any general relaxation of the criteria might lead to proliferation of unrealistically low limits that would debase the road safety value of speed limits as a whole.