Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of road networks in rural areas in Mid Leicestershire constituency; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of development on road networks between settlements.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. It is for the local council to decide what measures may be appropriate in their local area to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents”.

Local authorities are also responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate. Local highway authorities are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty and it is for them to ensure they manage their roads in a way that complies with that, including assessing potential impacts of development on road networks in their area.

Local authorities are best placed to decide on delivery of road safety initiatives, because of their knowledge of the roads for which they are responsible. We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK!