HC Deb 14 July 1986 vol 101 cc670-2
9. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is satisfied with the speed with which motorway repairs are undertaken.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

No, Sir. The increased use of lane rental contracts, which give the contractor an incentive to complete early, is enabling us to speed up major renewal schemes, achieving in some cases time savings of about 25 per cent.

Mr. Knox

Will my hon. Friend explain why it appears to take so long to effect repairs to motorways? Will he also explain why so much of the motorway network appears to be under repair?

Mr. Bottomley

Part of the reason is that people forgot that motorways eventually need replacing and that we are trying to deal with the legacy from before 1979. Cones are needed for various reasons which are not always obvious: to protect the concrete which is still curing; to protect excavated areas or damaged safety fences; to provide a safety zone for workmen; and to provide access for contractors or emergency vehicles.

Mr. Carter-Jones

Is the Minister aware of the hardship experienced by my constituents because of repairs to the Barton high-level bridge on the M62, which are likely to take three years? This is causing unnecessary hardship to people living in Eccles, Swinton, Pendlebury and Worsley. What will he do about that?

Mr. Bottomley

I am aware of the strong representations that the hon. Gentleman has been making on behalf of his constituents and others who have been held up by the necessary widening of the bridge. I have also been receiving representations from my hon. Friend the Member for Davyhulme (Mr. Churchill), whose constituency is nearby. I shall consider whether we can rearrange the work in any way, to allow all the work to be completed substantially faster. If I can, I shall make a public announcement and, I hope, send copies to the hon. Members concerned.

Sir Kenneth Lewis

Is my hon. Friend aware that there seem to be so many cones down our main roads nowadays that one wonders whether the Common Market is giving a subsidy on cones, just as it gives a subsidy on barley? Can my hon. Friend ask those concerned to cone off less of the road so that a longer distance than necessary is not coned off, because it is overdone?

Mr. Bottomley

I accept part of what my hon. Friend says. We are getting better each year. I should like to quote from a letter that I received: I should … like to congratulate the contractors and Department of Transport for keeping the traffic moving in all conditions during the work. In this case the work was on the A6. The letter continues: That has been no mean achievement. We need to congratulate people when they do well, and to chastise them when they do not.

Mr. Pike

Does the Minister accept that large sections of motorway are still coned off, with no workmen in sight, and in many cases it appears to happen week after week? Will the hon. Gentleman do something about it? Will he have a look at the M62 and M63, to which my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) referred, because the chaos in that area is appalling and something needs to be done about it?

Mr. Bottomley

The chaos is far less than it would have been if we had not gone in for a massive publicity exercise. I congratulate the many road users, commercial and domestic, who have kept away from Barton bridge while some of the work has been going on. If they continue to keep away when they can, obey the direction signs and follow the advice, we shall be able to get the work done and allow traffic to keep moving. I appreciate the problems that it causes to some of the hon. Gentleman's constituents.