HC Deb 05 June 1957 vol 571 cc1224-5
1. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what consideration his Department has given in the interests of road safety to the effect which any change in the beginning and ending of the period of summer time would have on road accidents; and what are his conclusions.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. G. R. H. Nugent)

The Road Research Laboratory, at the request of my Department, has recently made an analysis to determine the most beneficial arrangements for summer time from the point of view of road safety. The findings are not conclusive, and we hope to receive a further report from the Laboratory in due course.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that many people think it would be advantageous to road safety if summer time were extended—if it started earlier and ended later?

Mr. Nugent

Yes, we will bear that in mind, but there are considerations on the other side, especially the agricultural ones.

2. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress he has made in his discussions with the insurance companies regarding the financing of the road safety campaign.

The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Harold Watkinson)

The representatives of the insurance companies have recently informed me that they will be glad to co-operate in the forthcoming road safety campaign.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the French insurance companies are now devoting some hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to propaganda and demonstrations of road safety? Would he not think it a good thing if British insurance companies imitated that example? Does he think that enough is really being done by the insurance companies?

Mr. Watkinson

I agree with my hon. Friend. I am very grateful to the insurance companies for now taking a direct interest in road safety. I think that there is a big field here in which they can help, and I hope that they will consider doing perhaps rather more on the lines that my hon. Friend has suggested.

Mr. D. Jones

Is the Minister aware that in France, when the Government lose the confidence of the country, they resign?