HC Deb 10 August 1966 vol 733 cc1690-1
3. Mr. Harold Walker

asked the Minister of Transport why no emergency roadside telephones have yet been installed on the Doncaster by-pass; and when work on these will commence.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. Stephen Swingler)

Solution of cabling problems has taken longer than expected. Installation should start early next year and the telephones be operative next summer.

Mr. Walker

Is my hon. Friend aware that this is about the fourth time that I have asked this Question and that it is now eight months since he told me that work was in hand? Will he get the work out of hand and on to the motorway? Is he not aware that on 15 miles of dangerous motorway there is not a single telephone, nor are there instructions about the whereabouts of the nearest telephone, and that lives are being lost while we dilly-dally?

Mr. Swingler

There is no dilly-dallying. It was only 12 months ago that my right hon. Friend announced that on all trunk motorways telephones would be installed. Since that time it was agreed to install telephones on this stretch to which my hon. Friend refers. But the problem here, in which my hon. Friend would perhaps volunteer to assist, is the extensive excavation of rock that is required in order to lay the main cable, and a very special main cable is required. That is the problem on which we are working.

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