§ 57. Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to a fatal motoring accident on 7th December on the main Watling Street, near 749 Towcester; if he is aware that before this accident over 50 cars and lorries had had serious skids at this spot, and that up to mid-day there had been no attempt by the local authority to sand the frozen surface; and if he will take steps to impress on all local authorities the desirability of sanding the highways under their control as early as possible on frosty mornings?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMI have made special inquiries into the circumstances of the fatal accident to which my hon. Friend refers, but I have no information regarding the other "skids" on the ice-bound road surface which are said to have occurred previously. A special circular on "Slippery Road Surfaces" was issued to all highway authorities on 1st March, 1929, and in another circular, dated 7th March last, dealing with the rates of grant to classified roads, the expenditure incurred on sanding and gritting is included, as in previous years, among the items to which grants are made from the Road Fund. In these circumstances, it appears unnecessary to issue a further circular, but the divisional road engineers of the Ministry have been instructed to draw the attention of highway authorities to roads where special precautions appear to be desirable.