Draft Heavy Commercial Vehicles in Kent (No. 1) Order 2019

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Tuesday 8th October 2019 General Committees

[Mr Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

May I ask a couple of questions? What processing capacity does the Minister expect for HGVs in the junction area of the M20 that he mentioned? I am concerned about whether that is enough.

Secondly, what facilities will be available at the places where the documents are being inspected so that HGVs with loads can become compliant and Brexit-ready by virtue of obtaining, for example, a transit accompanying document? Where they can offer the load up to be inspected, should HMRC wish it to be?

--- Later in debate ---

[Charlie Elphicke]

I appreciate that, Mr Hanson. My hon. Friend the Member for Elmet and Rothwell tempts me to talk about the importance of making sure that the traffic flows, even when there are demonstrations. That is part of the reason why we need these traffic officers. If someone comes to Dover and glues themselves to the roads, as the Extinction Rebellion people did the other day, it creates a problem. We want to have the powers for people to ensure that the roads are kept open and free.

The key point that I am trying to make about traffic officers is that we will need fewer traffic officers and fewer powers provided that we make sure that we are entirely ready for a smooth Brexit, using the transit convention and making sure that HMRC has done its bit. To conclude, the ideal would be that clearances were done at the factory floor, which is possible, using the transit convention and making sure that HMRC is fully ready, rather than checks at Manston.

My other concern is that the Government’s idea of using Manston is problematic. Let us say that Stanislav from Krakow is driving a lorry—many lorry drivers are from eastern Europe and do not have the best grasp of English, but they know where the port of Dover and the M20 are. They will head there come hell or high water. The problem is how on earth we are going to tell them to go somewhere else. How on earth can we tell them that they should sit at Manston and be there, potentially, for days on end?

[Mr Fysh]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I, too, have very serious concerns about the idea of Manston featuring at all in a solution to this, which is why the capacity issue for the processing en route is so important. I think there is a serious danger that if EU hauliers—after all, 80% to 85% are from the EU—find that inconvenient and get fined £300 unless they go to Manston, and that completely upsets their schedules and working time allowances which will get them to a certain point in Europe, they may abandon the route entirely.

[Charlie Elphicke]

That is my prime concern—to make sure that the traffic is free-flowing. The focus really ought to be on making sure that HMRC is ready to give the clearances from the factory floor, rather than on producing a situation at Manston. I am concerned, as are many colleagues in Kent, that if the procedures aimed at directing lorry drivers to Manston are implemented, it will be very hard to persuade lorry drivers for whom English is not their first language to go elsewhere. That is my one concern about this.

I broached this subject because I want Brexit to succeed—unlike the Labour party, which wants to cancel it and to remain under all circumstances. I want Brexit to succeed, so we have put forward solutions to make the best advantage of the transit convention and avoid the need for quite so many traffic officers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

Yes. That is a legitimate question about what would happen should Folkestone and Dover get very busy. My personal belief is that if I was running a business—I used to import wholesale fruit and veg for a living, and I have used the short straits crossing a huge amount in the past for my business—and was worried about there being a problem, I would divert my route. That is why the Government have already announced that an extra £9 million is being made available to local areas and major ports, so that they are ready for us to leave without a deal. Some £5 million of that will be given to local councils that either have or are near major air, land or sea ports, to ensure that they can continue to operate effectively when we leave the EU. We have also done the traffic modelling and shared it with the local resilience forums in each of those individual areas, and we are working with them to ensure that they are completely ready for when we leave the European Union later this month. It is a completely legitimate and fair question, and I appreciate the hon. Lady’s asking it, so that I could clarify that point.

My hon. Friend the Member for Elmet and Rothwell asked me a vaguely political question, but there was a sensible question within it: are hauliers taking this seriously? It is not that the political question was not sensible; I just do not want to be told off by you, Mr Hanson, tempted though I may be to leap in. I can honestly say that hauliers are taking this seriously. I have been in lots and lots of meetings with both business representatives and organisations of the freight and haulage industry, and indeed with big and small individual companies, and they all understand what impact this might have if it were to go wrong. They all understand that if they and everybody else get the paperwork right, there would not be the problem we are discussing and we would not need the contingency plan—Brock—because flow would continue. We need to continue—we will do this as a Government and, I hope, as individual Members —to say to anybody we meet from a haulage company, “Are you Brexit-ready?” The Government should have written to them a number times through different Departments, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and so on. They should have seen the adverts that have been in the papers and on motorway gantries. There are pop-up sites up and down the country, and we are using the trade press. They have all sorts of opportunities to notice them. It is their living.

I used to work with the haulage industry, importing fruit and veg, and I know that, although hauliers put things off to the last minute because they do not want to take on board the extra expense, when they know that it is about their livelihood and those of the people who work for them—they might be a small operator with one or two rigs—they take notice. They do not want to be held up. There are not massive margins in the haulage industry, so delay costs could cost them business and therefore profit, or their living. I believe that they are absolutely taking this very seriously.

[Mr Fysh]

The Minister is being very generous in giving way. Was he going to come back to my question about whether there will be facilities for hauliers to undertake customs-readiness en route? My concern is that if the capacity fills up in Folkestone, Dover and Ashford—where there are customs processing facilities where they can get their documents right in the evenings when they fill up with the hauliers from Europe who want to stay the night—there will potentially need to be some en route capacity in the areas where the trucks are being held; otherwise, they will have to divert to different places, and they will not want to.

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

Although that is not necessarily part of this debate, I would like to answer it. I mentioned, but probably did not emphasise enough, that we are looking at changing the very popular pop-up sites that we have for this basic communications campaign—the ones where we get a huge amount of footfall—so they can check the paperwork, as my hon. Friend describes, and inform drivers about whether they are border-ready and have the appropriate paperwork. If they get into Kent, there are turnaround sites, which HMRC is setting up, on top of the numbers that I mentioned in my previous answer to my hon. Friend. For people who believe that they can get ready to cross the border within 24 hours, there will be facilities for them to do so.

I apologise for not addressing the question that my hon. Friend asked about facilities. He asked what the facilities will be for drivers and others if we are doing all this. There will be facilities—we will ensure that we look after drivers’ welfare properly—that include toilets and food. At Maidstone, there will be things like access to the internet and printers, so if paperwork needs to be checked and changed, drivers have the ability to do that. We are very cognisant of the welfare of drivers in that industry, which is very important to our nation.

Seaborne Freight

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Tuesday 8th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I am not going to comment on individual tax affairs. All I am going to say is that due diligence was carried out into the participants in this business and no reason was found why they should not contract with Government.

[Mr Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

It is very reassuring to hear about my right hon. Friend’s discussions with the ports of Dover and Calais and the contingency plans that he is putting in place. Will he tell us more about how companies can get to know what they have to do to make sure that their declarations are appropriately communicated to the port? That seems to me to be a potential pinch point that we need to look at.

[Chris Grayling]

Certainly one part of the no deal preparations that we are now going through—HMRC is very actively engaged in this—is about the declaration processes that businesses would need to go through. The reality is that this happens already. Goods are shipped from this country to Switzerland, for example, through established processes in this country and on the continent. We will need to ensure in the run-up to a no-deal Brexit that business is up to speed with what it needs to do. A huge amount of work in this respect is already happening.

Strategic Road Network: South West

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Wednesday 19th July 2017 Westminster Hall

[Mr Liddell-Grainger]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and it is quite correct to highlight such situations. His constituents suffer in the same way as those of my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil on those inadequate roads. We need a policy that covers A roads and motorways. My hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester has done a noble job for his constituents, and I am glad he has raised that point.

Highways England had a brief to create an alternative route to the far south-west using the A303 and the A358, even if it effectively bypassed Taunton. As my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil is aware, it would have made much more sense to upgrade the A303 and carry on over the Blackdown hills with improvements to the A30. Devon County Council wanted that option, and my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish), who unfortunately cannot be in his place today, argued for it. It would be a much shorter route, and cheaper too.

The most cost-effective solution is just to improve the M5 and widen it. It would save a fortune—problem solved. That would be it sorted. The trouble is that Highways England did not get the choice. It was lumbered with the A303 and A358, and it came up with a series of wildly expensive plans. Surprise, surprise, it picked the cheapest option, although it makes no strategic sense whatever. The result has been a storm of protest. Highways England has totally cheesed off Somerset County Council, which thinks the plan nuts. Highways England stupidly cancelled the public consultation meetings during the May general election campaign. Why? It has made so many blunders that the Campaign to Protect Rural England is threatening to take it to court for a judicial review—ridiculous.

Worst of all, Highways England will be using something called a development consent order to secure the right to build the road. It does not matter how many people protest or what the local council says, because development consent orders were designed to put time limits on all objections. Basically, unless the Secretary of State intervenes, a development consent order can be a legal bulldozer. I should add that the long list of objectors to the proposal includes Taunton Deane Council, bizarrely, which desperately wants a new road but would much prefer a link with one of its plum building projects called Nexus 25.

[Mr Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the key issues with the A358 is that we must ensure that we have a north-south link between our parts of Somerset, which would enable the Somerset economy to grow to its full potential?

[Mr Liddell-Grainger]

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. He has been a champion for the A303 and A358 since he stood as a candidate. He has done a remarkable job in ensuring that the Government are fully aware of the feelings of the people of Yeovil. Yeovil and Bridgwater are the only two industrial towns in Somerset. This issue matters enormously given that the railway station for Yeovil is outside the town, so we have double strategic problems.

Nexus is a rosy apple in the eye of Tumbleweed Town’s Wyatt Earp, Councillor John Williams. Quick on the draw as he is, Wyatt Twerp intends to make sure it happens. Anyone who objects could end up on Boot Hill with an overdose of lead poisoning. Nexus is a plan for a giant business park on green fields next to junction 25, off the M5. Wyatt Twerp’s builder pals from Summerfield bought the plot cheap a few years ago. Taunton Deane now intends to use a local development order to force it through. Local development orders were designed for one purpose: to enable the development of brownfield sites, but Nexus is greenfield, and Wyatt Twerp is on the fiddle again with legal trickery to stifle objections. Local development orders, like development consent orders, make a mockery of consultation, but in lawless Tumbleweed Town that’s the way they do things. Wyatt Twerp wants to win, which is why he complained so strongly about the plans of Sir Tim Smit, the architect of the world-famous Eden Project, which we have all been to and know so well. Sir Tim Smit wants to build an extensive complex at junction 27 on the M5. It is a well-engineered proposal from a team with excellent form. Sir Tim Smit understands consultation. He actually attends all public meetings in person, which is impressive.

Wyatt Twerp sees any rival development, even in neighbouring counties, as a dreadful threat. Right now, he is getting his posse together to ride out and lynch the man—bizarre, I know. Imagine: Sir Tim Smit’s plans might lure people away from the invisible attractions of Tumbleweed Town.

My hon. Friend the Minister will be aware of another crazy caper dreamed up by Wyatt Twerp to merge West Somerset Council, which is in my constituency, with Taunton Deane. That could result in a new authority, no doubt to be called Greater Tumbleweed. West Somerset would end up without a single local office, and with no staff and few elected councillors. Wyatt Twerp organised a consultation process, which, as hon. Members would expect, was shallow, shabby, inaccurate and so badly drafted that few people took part. It was not worth the paper it was written on.

Once again, Wyatt Twerp is on the fiddle. His bid to merge has been submitted to the Secretary of State using a piece of law that gets around the need to consult anybody. Needless to say, my constituents are crying foul play. When they finally rumble his bent regime and boot him out, he would be very well qualified—dare I say it to the Minister?—to join Highways England as a consultant.

That brings me back to the A358 and the road that Highways England wants to build with no links to Nexus 25. I have a suspicious mind. I have already discovered that Summerfield Developments has bought another large plot of agricultural land, which happens to be remarkably close to all of Highways England’s route options for the A358. At present, Summerfield would not get permission to erect a garden shed on it, but if the A358 becomes a dual carriageway, nearby land will become ripe for new homes and Summerfield will be quids in. I wonder how much more land it has an option on already. I wonder which well-known land agents are scouting on its behalf, and who else has invested in that beautiful green-belt corner of Somerset.

Perhaps Wyatt Twerp himself will come clean and tell us why he bought a 30-acre plot close to Stoke St Mary parish church all those years ago. He might claim that it was because of his love of rural scenery or his abiding affection for the great crested newt, which we have all come across. Perhaps it was because of his desire to safeguard a precious plot for posterity. Or was it an early bid for a garden town—“Williamsville”, for instance, which is a great name—which my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil has championed? We know that there are fairies at the bottom of his garden and pink pigs flying above them, but the leader of Taunton Deane Council is a greedy builder at heart, and he must have known that 300 houses would fit on 30 acres. Wyatt Twerp bagged a bargain when he bought that land.

The point is this: if the A358 is turned into a highway, there will be huge building opportunities. Highways England understands Wyatt Twerp’s ambitions. Taunton Deane Council has been involved in secret talks with Highways England for months, but it took a freedom of information request from a gentleman called Dave Orr, who is not one of my constituents, to prove it. Two weeks ago, he obtained a memo from Highways England’s global consultants. Those experts recognised Taunton Deane’s extraordinary plan to build 17,000 houses and advised that 3,460 could be built on the land near the motorway junction. As far as I can make out, Mr Orr is a fair man. He decided to alert officers of Taunton Deane Council and Somerset County Council in case they had not seen the document. Nobody reacted, so Mr Orr called the press. It was a story—it was all true—but Wyatt Twerp went bananas and ordered his deputies to threaten the local paper for publishing “fake news”. Wyatt had a nasty attack of the Trumps.

That is a revealing episode in a very sad saga. I believe that this is the wrong strategic route for the south-west. We now know for certain that any road developments around this green part of Taunton will bring extra houses by the thousand, which will affect my hon. Friends the Members for Wells and for Yeovil. No wonder so many people are angry. No wonder there is growing distrust of the system and growing contempt for the local politicians—my hon. Friends excluded—who have conspired to allow this to happen. On that point, I rest my case.

Diesel Vehicle Scrappage Scheme

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Wednesday 19th April 2017 Westminster Hall

[Mr Hayes]

In the short time available to me, I do not have access to Hansard, and it would absolutely wrong for me to give any information that is not pinpoint accurate. That is not my habit, Mr Chope, and it is certainly not something you would permit in this Chamber. I now need to rush on to deal adequately with the contributions that have been made to this debate.

It is absolutely clear that the prosperity of our nation and, more than that, the common good depend on our wellbeing. Closely associated with wellbeing is the health of our people—urban and rural, young and old. If we are going to promote a better Britain to fuel—if I can put it in these terms—the common good, we need to look at air quality and pollution, as that is critical to health.

[Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Hayes]

I want to deal with a pseudodox before I give way to my hon. Friend.

It is important to recognise that air quality has improved. I do not want there to be any misunderstanding about that. Over time, air quality in this country has improved. That goes right back to the Clean Air Acts of the late 1950s and through the 1960s. Even in recent years, air quality has improved with respect to nitrogen monoxide emissions by something like 20%, so let us not start from a series of misassumptions.

[Marcus Fysh]

I am very heartened to hear that the Minister estimates that we should look after the rural areas just as we look after the cities. I was a little worried that the Opposition spokesman’s contribution suggested that we should purely focus on cities. In Yeovil, we have an air quality management area, which needs managing. I am a supporter of this potential scrappage scheme as one means of alleviating that. We have a congestion issue. I would love the Minister to come look at a bypass scheme to alleviate that on Sherborne Road. This is an excellent part of what we should be doing to address that issue.

[Mr Hayes]

My hon. Friend is right that in implementing any set of policies we need to be clear about the particularities of different localities. The circumstances in rural areas are different in all kinds of ways. The biggest problem with air quality and pollution is obviously in urban areas, and the Government’s approach—of which clean air zones are the exemplification—has, of course, focused on just such areas. It would be inconceivable for us not to be sensitive to different circumstances, which is why we are so determined to work with all agencies and local government in particular to ensure that the specificity of any proposals that we put into place is sufficient to deal with those particularities. He is absolutely right to raise that.

Having said that air quality has improved, let us be clear: we must do more. There is no complacency in making a bald statement about the facts. We have to go further, for, as Disraeli also said:

“The health of the people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness”

depends. It is right that high nitrogen dioxide levels exacerbate the impact of pre-existing health conditions, especially for elderly people and children, as my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton and others made clear; it is right that we protect those most affected by poor air quality. I am absolutely committed to that objective.

People know this already, but I am not afraid or ashamed to restate it: Government can be a force for good. I mentioned the Clean Air Acts, and in those terms Governments were a force for good and can continue to be so if we get the regulatory environment right. Air pollution has reduced, but we need to tackle it with a new vigour and determination. Road transport is at the heart of that, because it is the single biggest contributor to high local concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, and it is nitrogen dioxide that has featured large in the debate.

Weymouth to Waterloo Rail Line

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Tuesday 15th December 2015 Westminster Hall

[Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

Thank you, Mrs Moon. It is a great pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Richard Drax). Delivering jobs and opportunities to the south-west is at the centre of my mission as an MP and a major focus of our Government. Somerset is a key gateway to the south-west and presents substantial economic opportunities, including in Dorset, as we have heard.

The Government are spending a massive amount on dualling the A303 and A358 corridor, and this scheme would be a perfect complement to that. It would enhance the prospects for jobs as well as networking our centres of economic growth to allow them to grow more rapidly together than would otherwise be the case. Double tracking the line between Templecombe and Salisbury is essential for that and could unlock substantial further growth. Importantly, it would help a great deal while the A303 work is being carried out because that will probably cause serious congestion that might otherwise present a substantial challenge to the area.

It is important that the analysis of the potential upgrade is carried out in a joined-up way with, and at the same time as, the current analysis on double tracking west of Yeovil. Network Rail is undertaking that analysis as part of its investigation into increasing the resilience of the south-west peninsula. It is hard to think about how trains will be scheduled and what enhancements are necessary without looking at capacity over the whole route at the same time.

South Somerset, of which Yeovil is the key town, has ambitious plans for growth in housing and industry, and would be greatly enhanced by the plan for better rail connectivity, which could bring Yeovil closer to London by up to 40 minutes. That would represent a real step change with knock-on benefits for the whole of the south-west, including Devon and the rest of the south-west peninsula. I cannot emphasise the idea of networking enough. Whenever I have looked professionally at economic projects around the world, the element of new public infrastructure to connect places and reduce journey times, thus raising economic potential, has been a major feature. This is a major plan for jobs and opportunities in the south-west, so we must grab it with both hands.

Airports Capacity

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Monday 14th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

If one looks as the record of this Government, one sees that we have always acted in the national interest. We have done that on extra railway capacity and we are going to do it on the other big infrastructure investment proposals. They are always controversial and it is right, in this day and age, that we take every measure we can to mitigate the environmental impacts of any decisions we take.

[Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

Job prospects in the south-west and in the rest of the country outside the south-east would clearly be best enhanced by an expansion at Heathrow, but it needs to be legally secure. Does my right hon. Friend agree that sometimes it is best to have a thorough look at these things and that a stitch in time might in this case save nine?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that. One thing I have learned from taking through some of the big infrastructure projects that I have been responsible for is that it is right to make sure we can prove on all the possible challenges we will face that we have done the right amount of work in preparation for whatever decisions we put before the House.

Vehicle Speed Outside Schools

Marcus Fysh Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Andrew Jones)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Pauline Latham) on securing this debate on the important subject of vehicle speeds and speed limits outside Morley primary school. I thought she made a strong case, as indeed did the words of her young constituent. I should like to assure the House that we take the safety of children—and, indeed, all road users—very seriously. Road safety is a top priority for this Government, and I have listened with great interest to my hon. Friend’s points.

We have some of the safest roads in the world, and we should be proud of that record. Over the past 10 years, there has been a 35% reduction in the number of child pedestrians killed or seriously injured. However, even one death on our roads is, of course, one too many, and it is important that everyone plays their part to continue to improve road safety.

As my hon. Friend noted, the Government want more people to choose walking, especially for shorter journeys, and that means encouraging more children to walk to and from school. Walking to school not only constitutes a healthy way to start the day, but helps to reduce congestion during the school run and improves air quality in our communities. Of course, while we want people to walk more, they will not do so unless they feel safe. It is important for roads outside schools to be safe, and part of that is ensuring that the speed for traffic is appropriate.

It may be helpful if I briefly outline the current position relating to local speed limits, and the role of the traffic authorities in setting them, before describing the broader work that is being done to improve safety on our roads.

There are three national speed limits: 30 mph on roads with street lighting—sometimes referred to as restricted roads—60 mph on single-carriageway roads, and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. National speed limits can be applied to most roads, but in some circumstances they are not appropriate. Speed limits need to be suitable for local conditions, and councils are best placed to determine what those limits are, on the basis of local knowledge and the views of the community, and having regard to guidance issued by the Department.

Speed limits should be evidence-led, and should seek to reinforce people's assessment of what constitutes a safe speed at which to travel. They should also encourage self-compliance. Local factors, such as the presence of a school, shape the appropriate speed limit. In this instance, it was eminently sensible to reduce the limit to 30 mph. I know that the A608 is a very busy road, and is a major feeder into north Derby. Driver awareness of the additional risk factors that a school can present is vital, which is why good signage is such a useful tool. My hon. Friend made that point very strongly.

[Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

The neighbourhood of Brympton, in my constituency, contains an estate where a school off Stourton Way was not provided with road safety protection and signage to slow traffic on a major and fast estate road. The Liberal Democrat council failed to address that at the time of approving the planning, and has failed to deal with it since. Will my hon. Friend please look into the issue, and tell the House what steps can be taken at national level to ensure that existing and new developments are subject to appropriate measures, including signage, near schools?

[Andrew Jones]

I shall deal shortly with the Department’s powers to enforce speed limits. However, the details of that particular case sound very worrying, and my hon. Friend is right to draw it to our attention. If he writes to me, I will certainly see what can be done to improve the situation. Safety is most important, and should certainly be a key consideration in all planning matters.

The Department gives advice on the spacing of speed limit signs in chapter 3 of the “Traffic Signs Manual”, which is a weighty tome. It covers transitions from one speed limit to another, and gives good-practice guidance on how often speed limit repeater signs should be placed. It is for local authorities to ensure that the guidance is applied appropriately on their roads. The visibility of signs is important, ensuring that drivers can see them in good time to act on them. Signs need to be in the right position, and need to be properly maintained to ensure that their visibility is clear. Over-provision of signs can reduce their impact—essential messages can get lost in a profusion of communication—and the Department encourages local authorities to de-clutter wherever possible to ensure that only the necessary signs are used.

Traffic authorities also have powers to introduce 20 mph speed limits that apply only at certain times of day. Those variable limits may be particularly relevant when, for example, a school is located on a road where a full-time 20 mph zone or limit is not appropriate.

The constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire is primarily rural, and it was disappointing and sad to note that last year about two thirds of fatal traffic accidents happened on rural roads. Much of the rural road network is subject to the national speed limit of 60 mph on single-carriageway roads and 70 mph on dual carriageways. On many of these roads the majority of drivers are, of course, travelling below, and sometimes very significantly below, the speed limit because of the characteristics of the roads. Our guidance suggests that a local limit of 50 mph may be right where there is a relatively high number of bends, junctions or accesses, and that 40 mph could be considered where there are many bends, junctions or accesses, substantial development, or a strong environmental or landscape reason, or where there are considerable numbers of vulnerable road users.

Speed limits should be considered as only one part of rural safety management, but a very important part. The nature and layout of the road, including the mix of traffic, should also be considered. The guidance recommends a two-tier approach to rural roads which differentiates between strategic roads and those with a local access function. If high collision rates persist despite these measures, lower speed limits may, and should, be considered. Again, to achieve a change in motorists’ behaviour and compliance with the limit, supporting physical measures, driver information and publicity or other measures are likely to be required. Last year we ran a successful Think! campaign highlighting the hazards of country roads and we will be rerunning that campaign later this year.

Traffic authorities are asked to keep their speed limits under review with changing circumstances, and to consider the introduction of more 20 mph limits and zones, over time, in urban areas and built-up village streets that are primarily residential, to ensure greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The Department expects a 30 mph speed limit to be the norm in villages, but it may also be appropriate to consider 20 mph zones and limits in built-up village streets. Local authorities have been given a greater say in setting speed limits and have powers to introduce 20 mph speed limits and 20 mph zones on their roads if they believe it appropriate to do so. Traffic authorities also have powers to introduce 20 mph speed limits that apply only at certain times of day. These variable limits may be particularly relevant where, for example, a school is located on a road that is suitable for a 20 mph zone or limit for part of the day but not others.

My hon. Friend mentioned speed cameras. Speed safety cameras, in the right place, can help manage safety risks by encouraging drivers to conform to the speed limit. They can achieve substantial reductions in collisions and casualties. Local authorities have the discretion to decide where these cameras should be sited and how to use them, in discussion with the police and others. It is right that the local authority has agreed to consider the installation of a camera at the school crossing outside Morley primary school, and I hope the work on that can progress to a solution for the school.

My hon. Friend also talked about school route audits. In July 2014 the Department for Education published updated home-to-school travel and transport guidance for local authorities which recommends school route audits as good practice. A school route audit allows pupils, their families, teachers and local community staff to identify the barriers to walking to school that most concern them and then work together to find solutions. I wonder whether that process might be a useful tool in the situation raised tonight.

While it is surely right that local authorities are allowed to make decisions and develop solutions that are tailored to the specific needs and priorities of their own communities, there is still a crucial role for national Government in providing leadership on road safety; delivering better driving standards and testing; enforcement; education; and managing the strategic road infrastructure.

The Department for Transport plays an important and active role in promoting the safety of children. We have made available to all schools a comprehensive set of road safety teaching resources, so that schools have good-quality materials that they will want to teach. Think! Education—part of the Think! campaign that I mentioned earlier—is aimed at four to 16-year-olds and covers all aspects of road safety, from car seats for young children to pre-driver attitudes for secondary schools. It includes materials for teachers, pupils and parents and can also be used by out-of-school groups such as the Cubs or Brownies.

Many local authorities deliver road safety education to their schools. We provide educational resources for use by road safety professionals, including road safety officers and the emergency services. We provide a range of materials, free of charge, including posters, booklets and reflective tags.

As well as ensuring that children and young people understand how to stay safe near roads, it is important to ensure that we tackle unsafe drivers. In August 2013, the fixed penalties for a number of motoring offences were increased. For failing to wear a seatbelt, using a mobile phone while driving, failing to stop at a red light and speeding the fine was increased to £100. Careless driving was introduced as a fixed penalty offence, with a £100 fine and potential points on a licence, and the police continue to enforce against drink and drug driving.

Many initiatives have built on the success in tackling road safety issues nationally, but in no way should we ever be complacent. The Government are looking at the best ways to improve road safety during this Parliament and beyond, and local campaigns, such as the one that my hon. Friend has brought to the House this evening, play a vital role.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for introducing this debate. I consider child safety to be of paramount importance. Indeed, the first piece of work that I commissioned as a Minister was on road safety. I believe that that indicates my personal commitment to the issue. I will write to Derbyshire police to highlight the speeding taking place outside the school and ask them to take enforcement action. The point that my hon. Friend makes on that is eminently sensible and needs to be taken forward, and I hope that some of the suggestions that have been discussed during this debate may also help to do so. I congratulate my hon. Friend on highlighting this issue, and I wish her every success with the campaign.

Question put and agreed to.