HC Deb 22 November 1972 vol 846 cc1275-6
13. Mr. James White

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many accidents occurred on the M8 and A74 in 1970, 1971 and 1972, to the latest available date.

Mr. Younger

It would be misleading to compare the absolute number of accidents on these two roads as A74 is over twice as long as M8. In 1970, 1971 and 1972 up to 31st August, however, there were, respectively, 41, 59 and 32 injury accidents on M8, representing an accident rate of 0.41 accidents per million vehicle miles. The corresponding figures on A74 were 167, 158 and 160, representing an accident rate of 0.6 accidents per million vehicle miles.

Mr. White

May I recommend to the hon. Gentleman a recent report in the Scottish Daily Express, that the time is long overdue for A74 to be brought up to motorway standards? Is he aware that people driving 300 miles from the south, having been brainwashed by motorway conditions, suddenly find themselves on a dual carriageway? Is he further aware that sheep cross it and that if a vehicle breaks down there is no hard shoulder? If the Government are not prepared to bring this road up to motorway standards will they at least provide a hard shoulder and a crash barrier in order to try to cut down loss of life?

Mr. Younger

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising this matter. So far as I am concerned any accident is to be deplored, and I would always take what steps I could to make accidents less likely to happen. It is not, however, the case that A74 is a particularly bad road for accidents. The average is certainly slightly higher than it is on M8, but it is almost exactly the same as the average for motorways generally, and it is rather below the average for dual carriageways generally.

However, I have recently written to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Mr. Monro) and told him that we are considering a programme of improvements on A74 in order to reduce the number of accidents even further.

Mr. Kaufman

On a point of order. I apologise for intervening at Question Time, Mr. Speaker, but may I draw to your attention to the chaotic situation at St. Stephen's entrance and the fact that constituents of mine have been prevented from coming in? Indeed, a policeman even attempted to prevent my coming in. I submit that it is intolerable that thousands of old people should be made to stand in these conditions in the cold, and I would be most grateful if you could take some action to enable my constituents to enter, and alleviate the appalling conditions at St. Stephen's entrance.

Mr. Speaker

I will take note of what the hon. Member has said and I will see what can be done about it.

Sir J. Gilmour

Will my hon. Friend publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT how he arrives at the accident rate per million vehicle miles? I am afraid I cannot understand it.

Mr. Younger

I apologise to my hon. Friend. It is rather a difficult thing to get across in an oral answer. The simple calculation is designed in order to be able to compare one road with another. It is the number of accidents which take place per million vehicle miles on a particular road. I think it is easy to understand. The object is to be able to compare roughly the situation on one road with another.

Mr. Ronald King Murray

Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied with the present arrangement for investigating the cause of accidents on these major roads in Scotland? If he is not satisfied, will he consider setting up a traffic accident unit to make inquiries and discover the true causes of many accidents?

Mr. Younger

I am not aware of any difficulties arising from this. We have a very close liaison with the police on the subject, and if there are any particular cases which the hon. and learned Gentleman would like to bring to my attention I shall be glad to investigate them.