§ 5. Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the nature and standard of repair and improvement work carried out on the MI motorway during the past year.
§ Mrs. ChalkerYes, Sir. The work was carefully planned and designed to high standards. Contractors were required to comply with strict specifications.
§ Mr. KnightIn the light of that reply, will my hon. Friend comment on the situation in Hertfordshire where a stretch of newly constructed fast lane hard shoulder has apparently been scrapped immediately after completion by being covered over with fill and edged with a kerb? Why has that been done? Does it not smack of bad planning at the very least, and will my hon. Friend make a statement?
§ Mrs. ChalkerEvery contract is subject to supervision and subsequent checking. I am already looking into a number of contracts on which work has not been satisfactorily completed. I cannot comment further now, but I shall write to my hon. Friend when I have information about the stretch to which he referred.
§ Mr. WatsonIs my hon. Friend aware that the task of representing a north Yorkshire constituency at Westminster entails a degree of affection for the M1 motorway that not every hon. Member has the privilege to acquire? Is she aware that that motorway has become marginally more lovable in the past few months now that the series of road works has been completed? How long does she think it will be before they have to start again?
§ Mrs. Chalkerunderstand my hon. Friend's affection for the M1, although I cannot say that I had much affection for it when I drove down it last night. The widening between junctions 5 and 8 completed last November has been a considerable improvement. Nevertheless, like any other structure, the motorway requires maintenance. Further work will have to he carried out, although that will be done in the speediest way to avoid inhibiting the free flow of traffic. Unless we maintain our motorways in proper condition, we cannot safeguard the original investment.