HC Deb 28 June 1972 vol 839 cc1437-8
39. Mr. Kinsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider placing a 50 miles per hour limit on the new stretch of the M1–M5–M6 link way where it runs through the City of Birmingham, to overcome the complaints by residents of the noise nuisance.

Mr. Speed

I do not consider that this would provide a solution. But my right hon. Friend is urgently studying the noise situation here.

Mr. Kinsey

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's reply. I hope he will look very seriously at the suggestion. Something must be done to help the residents in the area. If my hon. Friend will look into the provision of some other form of noise baffle, we shall be most grateful to him.

Mr. Speed

The first thing is to determine the exact extent of the problem. I hope that local residents will take up our invitation in which we have said that we are quite prepared to go into their homes to conduct noise level tests.

Mr. Julius Silverman

Will the Minister bear in mind that while a speed limit may not be the complete solution—I do not suppose for a moment that it will be—it will at any rate contribute towards mitigating the great hardship that areas adjacent to the motorway in Birmingham are experiencing? Surely a limit of 50 m.p.h. or even 40 m.p.h. will make very little difference to the total time it takes the motorist to get through?

Mr. Speed

I note what the hon. Gentleman says. We must first determine the full scale of the problem. There is the very real problem of enforcing such speed limits at these sections of motorway. I would not wish to give the police an even more difficult task than they already have. These matters are all being looked into.