NDM8667 Welsh Conservatives Debate - 20mph speed limits

NDM8667 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises the default 20mph speed limit has been in place in Wales for over one year.

2. Notes:

a) the 469,571 signatories to the Senedd petition: 'We want the Welsh Government to rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law';

b) the Welsh Government’s own Explanatory Memorandum to The Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022 which identified an economic dis-benefit of up to £8.9 billion arising from longer journey times associated with the default 20mph speed limit policy;

c) the former Deputy Minister for Transport’s comments that ‘more common sense’ should have been used when implementing Wales’s 20mph speed limit;

d) Transport for Wales’s air quality monitoring report wherein half of tested areas saw rises in nitrogen dioxide levels inside 20mph zones compared with outside; and

e) Welsh local authorities have received requests for thousands of roads to revert from 20mph to 30mph.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) repeal the default 20mph speed limit; and

b) work with Welsh local authorities to deliver a targeted approach to 20mph speed limits with the consent of local people.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd

1. Notes:

a) the default speed limit of 20mph has been in place in Wales for over a year; and

b) the previous cross-party support of the Senedd for the introduction of speed limits of 20mph in Wales and the presence of similar plans in councils run by the Conservatives in England.

2. Believes that, when implemented appropriately and rationally, 20mph speed limits have a useful role in making communities safer and reducing the pressure on the NHS.

3. Regrets the delay by the Welsh Government in acting on the Plaid Cymru amendment supported by the Senedd, which would have immediately empowered communities to review and make further exceptions as well as review the guidelines for local authorities.

4. Recognises the strength of feelings on this issue as a result of inconsistent action, engagement and communication regarding the changes.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to work closely with local authorities to ensure that the current review addresses the justified concerns, and that it is adequately resourced.

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1.     Recognises the default 20mph speed limit has been in place in Wales for over one year.

2.     Notes:

a)    the significant reduction in collisions and casualties since the limit was introduced; and

b)    the 469,571 signatories to the Senedd petition: 'We want the Welsh Government to rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law';

c)     the comprehensive listening programme carried out over the summer, engaging with people, business and communities across Wales as well as key stakeholders;

d)    that ongoing monitoring and evaluation will evidence the economic, health and environmental impacts of the policy;

e)    Transport for Wales’s phase 1 air quality monitoring report published in May 2024 showed no material effect on local air quality to date; and

f)      the support the Welsh Government is providing to Welsh local authorities that have received requests for roads to revert to 30mph.

3.     Calls on the Welsh Government to continue supporting Welsh local authorities to deliver a targeted approach to 20mph speed limits, ensuring the limit is applied to the right roads where people live, work and play.