§ 18. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what percentage of the trunk road system of England, Scotland and Wales consists of two-lane highways; and what percentage consists of four-lane highways.
§ The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Harold Watkinson)Approximately 78 per cent. of the mileage of trunk roads in England consists of two-lane carriageways and 6 per cent. of four-lane carriageways; the comparable figures for Wales are 94 per cent. and 0.5 per cent. and for Scotland 86 per cent. and 2 per cent. respectively.
The remainder of the mileage consists largely of two-lane carriageways with a passing lane, except in Scotland, where 6 per cent. of the mileage covers a single-lane carriageway.
§ Mr. Gresham CookeAs a four-lane highway is a good deal safer and easier for traffic than a two-lane highway, and as 76 per cent. of our trunk roads are of the two-lane variety, does not that indicate that we have a long way to go to make our trunk road system really safe? As traffic is likely to be light in the next few months, would not that period provide an opportunity to bring our road system up to date?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI only wish that I could accept my hon. Friend's view that in a short period of months I could overcome the arrears of many years.