The speed limit on motorways should be lifted to 80 miles per hour to increase national productivity by helping car and van drivers get to meetings more quickly, a Government minister has said.

Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said increasing the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph would mean that drivers wasted less time in their cars.

Ms Truss told a fringe meeting organised by the Centre for Policy Studies at the Conservative Party Conference that raising the speed limit could be part of the Government’s growth agenda.

A key part of this was reforming the planning system to build more homes. But she also wanted to look at speed limits.

She said: “I’d also like us to look again at things like our speed limits on the motorway. We have often toyed with the idea of raising it to 80mph, why don’t we look at that again?