Click on the photo to view the video on the LTC Supplementary Consultation

Smart motorways

I was amongst a group of MPs calling for more safety measures on smart motorways during a debate in the House of Commons.  During the debate I raised the issue of whether workers in recovery vehicles should be permitted to use red lights rather than the amber ones they use at the moment.

This follows a meeting I had last year with staff from Dynes Motor Group, a roadside rescue and recovery business based in Dartford.  I have been pleased to support Dynes in their Campaign for Safer Roadside Rescue Recovery, which was set up following the death of one of their employees, who was tragically killed whilst carrying out a roadside recovery. 

As well as raising awareness about the dangers roadside recovery operators face, campaigners want to see workers allowed to use prominent red lights whilst attending accidents and breakdowns, rather than an amber light currently in use.

The debate highlighted the dangers to motorists and both recovery and emergency workers using smart motorways.  If these motorways are to continue to be a regular feature, then we have to protect the people who use them.  The lack of a continuous hard shoulder makes it very challenging for recovery drivers to help motorists who have broken down or been involved in an accident.  I have seen some terrifying footage of incidents where recovery workers have nearly been killed and we know that several people have lost their lives when helping motorists who are stranded.  We have to do more to make this new type of road safer if they are going to be used in the future.

To play the video footage of this debate, please click on the photo above.

High Speed 1 - rolling stock

At a recent debate in the House of Commons, I joined other Kent MPs in calling for more trains and carriages on the High Speed 1 rail line in a bid to tackle overcrowding and high costs.  

During the course of his reply to the debate, the Minister stated that the popularity of HS1 had led to significant growth in passenger numbers and that it is a very successful, normally very good and reliable railway.  He also reported that the Williams Rail Review will be published in the next couple of months. He said it is intended to put the railway on a long-term, sustainable footing, where the passenger is put first.  It is important that the next franchise award reflects that and fits into whatever the Williams Review might suggest.

Sentencing debate

The draft Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2019 proposes legislation to ensure the most serious violent and sexual offenders will spend at least two-thirds of their sentence in prison rather than half their sentence, which is currently the case.

During the debate on this subject, I raised with the Justice Minister my support for this proposal but also asked for more to be done. 

This legislation implements the manifesto commitment we had at the General Election and ensures the most serious offenders spend more of their sentence behind bars. 

We have an ongoing commitment to the victims of crime and we need to see more occasions where the sentence given by the Court more accurately reflects the time actually served.

To see my question and the Minister's response, please click on the video above.