Road Safety Bill [HL]

Will the Minister accept that the term ““government policy””, with all due respect, is completely meaningless in this context? The Government have not altered any of the regulatory framework within which local authorities have to operate to create a speed limit. It is still down to the local authority to decide if the limit is right, so government policy does not enter into it. On the question of ““strategic routes””, villages on fairly important routes are, in many cases, exactly the places where they need the speed limit most. The volume of traffic is such that it is more dangerous and has a greater impact on the quality of life. Under the terms of a scheme related to our amendment, imperfectly worded though it is, a local authority would still be able to opt out a village. Will the Minister accept that there are many more villages on small roads than there are on strategic roads?