£20mn In Fine From Speed Cameras Goes Direct To Treasury

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Feb 2005

Annette visiting a road safety initiative with a local police unit in Dorset

Local MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole has discovered that over £20 million is channelled directly to the HM Treasury in revenue from speed camera fines - not spent locally on road safety initiatives as most people believe.

In a Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport, Annette Brooke asked how much revenue has been paid to the Exchequer from speed camera operations in England in each year since 2001.

Revenue has increased from less than £1.5mn in 2001 to over £20mn in 2004, all of which went to the Treasury.

Commenting on this response, Annette Brooke MP said:

"I am genuinely shocked at the revelation of what is actually a stealth tax imposed on speeding drivers. A fine from a speed camera is generally believed to be spent on improving road safety in the locality where the fine was imposed.

"It is outrageous that so much money that could be used for the good of the local community to reduce risks on the road, at dangerous hotspots or junctions is actually going to the Exchequer.

Annette Brooke, who recently completed her Police Service Parliamentary Scheme visiting a road safety initiative with a local police unit, undertook to find out how the money from fines was being spent. She is committed to lobbying the Treasury to ensure that monies collected locally are used locally to reduce accidents, prevent speeding and to improve driver awareness.