§ 29. Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of crash barrier have now been erected on the central reservation of the M1 motorway; and what is the total cost.
§ The Minister for Local Government and Development (Mr. Graham Page)Seventy-two miles at a total estimated cost of £634,193.
§ Mr. HarperI thank the Minister for that reply. Can he say what further tests have been made to these crash barriers, especially on the M1, where a tragic accident took place on 11th December in which a man and his wife were killed because the barriers were not strong enough to take the impact of a lorry travelling in the opposite direction? Does not the Minister think that a better and far wiser policy would be to erect barriers at a lower speed and make them more resistant to this kind of accident?
§ Mr. PageThat accident involved a 20-ton lorry crossing the barrier. At the present time barriers are not made to withstand that sort of impact. A thorough investigation is proceeding into the allegations which have been made in the Press about barriers on the M1, and I would rather wait until that investigation is completed before making any further statement. I give an undertaking that I shall report the result of the investigation to the House.