8. Mr. Jenningsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works. as representing the Lord President of the Council, what research is being done to mitigate the road dangers arising from snow and ice on the roads in winter.
§ Mr. H. NichollsThe Road Research Laboratory is investigating means of electrically heating road surfaces, and an experimental surface of this kind has been laid at West Drayton, Middlesex. It is hoped, shortly, to lay another on a new road-bridge, to be constructed at Slough. Also research by the Laboratory on the design and siting of snow fences has shown how effective they can be in hindering the formation of drifts.
Mr. JenningsCan my hon. Friend tell me whether the highway authorities concerned are aware of the results of this research? Also, can he say whether methods of clearing snow and ice from roads are being investigated?
§ Mr. NichollsMethods such as those mentioned by my hon. Friend in the second part of his supplementary question are being investigated. In reply to the first part of his supplementary question, information which has been derived from these researches is passed on to all the local authorities, and electrical road heating has now been confirmed to be a success Perhaps the outstanding success, of which we should like everyone to take account. has been the snow fences, which have been shown to save a tremendous amount of cost and labour if sited in the correct places.