The move would ensure that by April 2011 information about cameras would be easily available to the public. This could include data about accident rates at camera sites, vehicle speeds and the numbers of motorists prosecuted or offered training after offences recorded by cameras.

Mike Penning said: 'Public bodies should be accountable and if taxpayers' money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public.

'The proposals I have announced today will help show what impact cameras are having on accident and casualty rates and also how the police are dealing with offenders.

'This is in line with our commitment to improve transparency of government data so that the public are able to make more informed judgements about the work of local and central government.'

Commenting on the new proposals, Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, told the Daily Telegraph: 'We have always supported transparency as a way of making cameras publicly acceptable.'

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety also added its comments, with executive director Robert Gifford saying to the Telegraph: 'I am completely comfortable with this. It is the sort of thing better partnerships will have been doing and it is building on good practice.'