§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which the increased use of sleeping policemen has affected response times of the emergency services. [36237]
§ Mr. NorrisDepartmental guidance to local highway authorities has been to introduce less severe speed reduction measures along relevant routes. Speed cushions have become increasingly chosen for such routes, and the Road Hump Regulations 1996 (SI 1483), have been written to encompass their design and use. In 1994, to minimise the effect that traffic calming may have on emergency service response times, a code of practice for fire and ambulance services traffic calming was agreed. The Department of Transport, in conjunction with the Joint Committee on Fire Brigade Operations, the Department of Health's ambulance policy advisory group and the local authority associations, commends the code to its members.