Rt Hon Justine Greening MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Department for Transport
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR

20 October 2011

Dear Justine,
Congratulations on your appointment as Transport Secretary. I tabled a question earlier this year about the consultation on raising of the national speed limit on motorways. It read as follows:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester of 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 455, on motorway speed limits, when he plans to publish his consultation on motorway speed limits; if, as part of the consultation, he will ask what the motorway speed limit should be as an open question; if he will consult on what the default speed limits should be on other types of road; and if he will make a statement.
The reply I received stated that the Government's primary focus at the time was reviewing the effects of increasing the 70 mph national speed limit on motorways to 80 mph and that any change would be subject to consultation.
I believe that, as part of the consultation, the Department of Transport should ask about the motorway speed limit as an open question, allowing those who think it should be lower to express their opinion. There are strong arguments in favour of reducing the speed limit, based on safety and environmental concerns. A consultation that only allows participants to comment on increasing the limit is flawed and even leading. Whilst I appreciate that lowering the speed limit may not be an option that the Government supports, I hope you will consider framing the consultation in such a way as to allow all views to be represented.
I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion