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Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)
It is always a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sarah Green) on securing this debate. I thank her for raising pony and trap racing, which is clearly an important issue for her constituents, although I confess that, until I started to prepare for this debate, it was not something that I had experienced, nor have I seen it in my constituency. I imagine that it is not something found in all constituencies, but it is clearly an issue in some.
As the Minister responsible for road safety, I am pleased to be able to respond on behalf of this Government. I want to be clear that ensuring the safety of all road users and improving road safety is one of the Department’s highest priorities. We are currently considering a variety of road safety measures for inclusion in a strategy, and I reassure the hon. Lady and others that the Department takes road safety seriously. As we develop the strategy, I am committed to continuing to engage with hon. Members, stakeholders and road safety organisations. Today’s debate forms part of that work, so I thank hon. Lady for taking this opportunity to bring the issue of pony and trap racing to my attention. I look forward to publishing the road safety strategy in due course.
I note that concerns have been raised in this debate about pony and trap racing being a seasonal problem on certain roads, the potential for it to create risks on our roads and the disruption it can cause to local residents. The hon. Lady made a powerful case, setting out how the issue impacts people in her local area and why she is bringing it to the attention of the House. She also drew attention to the absence of a licensing framework similar to the licensing scheme for cycle races held on public roads. I also note the animal welfare concerns highlighted by the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers).
In considering and potentially dealing with the issue of pony and trap racing, there is a challenge of ensuring that the use of a pony and trap as a legitimate transport means is not made illegal. The question is how to differentiate between activity that is legal and that which is not. There are already existing powers in the legislative framework to deal with occurrences of pony and trap racing that breach the current road traffic legislation. That is a local policing matter, and we believe that the existing powers are sufficient. The police can use those powers to tackle any unlawful pony and trap racing; for example, I understand that they have utilised existing powers such as dispersal notices as a means of preventing potentially unlawful pony and trap racing, and the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham referred to the use of such measures.
I want to make clear that the police are operationally independent, and that it is for them to treat each case according to its individual merits and make appropriate risk assessments about what action to take. It is clearly impossible to consider every conceivable set of circumstances that the police face in dealing with potential breaches of the law. As I have said, it is their role to make that judgment. There are existing powers under the law to deal with instances of dangerous or careless driving by motor vehicles or with people seeking to obstruct traffic, as the hon. Lady described—to deal with driving that falls below the required standards or with those who unlawfully obstruct the highway.
Let me turn to the possibility that the hon. Lady suggested: regulating pony and trap racing in the same way as cycling events. I need to say at the outset that, to be frank, the Government do not currently have any plans to do so. The legislation on cycling events dates from 1960 and, although there have been reviews in the past, no legal changes have been deemed of sufficient priority for inclusion in any legislative timetable.
It might be helpful to clarify how the requirements operate for cycling events. It is the event organiser’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the law and good practice, for example by providing sufficient numbers of marshals, with the appropriate training, at each event. The Government do not currently have any plans to legislate to require all cycling events to be licensable by local authorities. The current voluntary system works well, and local cycling events are a good way of encouraging more people to take up cycling, in line with the Government’s plans to boost cycling and walking.
The Government often have to make difficult choices regarding legislative priority. The hon. Lady and other Members will be aware that Parliament has a packed legislative timetable and that the issues facing the nation and the Government are of a huge scale. Such measures as called for in this debate would therefore not be foremost in any Bill consideration. We do, however, always keep the law under review to ensure that it is fit for purpose, and I would be happy to meet with the hon. Lady to better understand the evidence she has on the nature of this problem and how widespread it is. Then we, as a Government, can revisit our priorities and look at the matter in further detail. As I have already said, I look forward to laying out our road safety plans in due course.
Once again, I thank the hon. Lady for securing this important debate and for drawing to my attention the concerns of her constituents and the specific issues that she has raised.
Question put and agreed to.