§ 22. Sir GIFFORD FOXasked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made during the past year with the testing of road surfaces in order to ascer- 1683 tain the best type for the prevention of skidding; and by what date he anticipates research will have been sufficiently advanced to enable him to oblige all highway authorities to use such surfaces on Class I roads?
Mr. STANLEYContinuous study has been given during the past year to the behaviour of a number of trial lengths laid to different specifications in order to determine, among other things, their non-skid properties, and an account of this work will shortly be published. I cannot forecast the progress of research, but my Department consistently presses on highway authorities the importance of using only such materials as are likely to give non-slippery surfaces, and marked progress has been made in this direction.
§ Mr. THORNEHas the Minister received any report from the local authorities about the diamond-cut iron plates put down on the roads?
Mr. STANLEYIf the hon. Member will put a question down, I will give him any information that I can.