Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that when variable speed limits on motorways are activated, the variable speed limit is not too low for the traffic conditions at the time; and if he will make a statement.

The Traffic Officer Manual provides detailed guidance to control room operators on the correct procedures for setting variable speed limits. Supervisory staff in the Highways Agency regional control centres are responsible for ensuring that a constant overview is maintained of the network conditions - and appropriateness of variable speeds - relevant to safety and smooth traffic flow. Variable speed limits are set in response to conditions on the road and are only used when necessary.