§ 6. Mr. Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that Great Britain's motorway service areas compare favourably with service areas in other Common Market countries; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Keith Speed)Some of the service areas I visited recently in France, Germany and Switzerland were undoubtedly attractive. I shall shortly be visiting further representative service areas in England in order to acquaint myself more closely with the facilities they provide and the standard these facilities achieve, particularly in the catering field. These visits will be followed by joint talks with the operators to see what improvements can usefully be sought.
When these discussions are complete I hope to make a general statement.
§ Mr. FowlerI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Will he confirm that some of Britain's motorway service areas, including some on the M1, are amongst the worst in Western Europe? Is not there a serious safety point here, in that even when they are tired drivers will not stop at these areas because they consider that they get neither adequate refreshment nor rest?
§ Mr. SpeedOur best service areas are amongst the best in Europe, though of course there are many which are not as good. There are safety aspects to consider, and I am determined, with the operators, to improve the standards of service areas so that they compare favourably with the best in Europe.
§ Mr. CormackHas my hon. Friend considered the provision of certain areas where drivers can pull off motorways for a rest without necessarily having refreshment?
§ Mr. SpeedI am interested in the provision of picnic and toilet areas which do not have the full provision of refreshment facilities. We are looking at this possibility.