We have to accept that "decisions" such as this are taken on the basis of whether the government can then appear to be "doing something" in the popular press, whether it will get the minister in the news, etc. Anything dressed up as "safety" is a surefire way to avoid criticism because they can then just say any critics oppose safety. Spending £1bn (of our money) makes the govt appear to be 10 times more safety conscious than spending £100m on it.
Whether it's a good, bad or downright lunatic idea is neither here nor there.