80mph limit plans 'to be revisited'

SHELVED PLANS to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph will need to be revisited, a transport minister said as he declined to say whether he ever broke the current law to drive at that speed.

Stephen Hammond said ministers were split on the move - which was unveiled with a fanfare by Philip Hammond in 2011 but then axed from the agenda by successors as transport secretary.

Polling suggests a 10mph increase in the maximum allowed on the network would be extremely popular among motorists - and the transport minister recognised "a lot" already drove at the higher speed.

But campaigners say it would lead to another 25 deaths and 100 serious injuries on the roads each year and cost society an extra £1 billion in fuel, health and other costs.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin stuck the project firmly on the backburner this summer - amid reports it was not felt to be a policy that would appeal to female voters.

Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Hammond - filling in after his boss had to withdraw - said he could "only guess" why the plan was dropped.

"Mr (Philip) Hammond is a great supporter of 80 miles per hour. He thinks it's the right thing to do," he said in response to a question from an activist.

"That's not a universal view among my colleagues and at the moment, because there are a huge number of other things on, we have not stopped work on it but it's not a priority.

"Given that a lot of people travel at 80 miles per hour and we could enforce 80 miles per hour, at some stage we will want to come back and look at it."

Asked if he ever drove at that speed, he laughed and paused for some time before moving on to the next question.

By Joe Churcher, Press Association