HC Deb 30 November 1987 vol 123 cc590-1
3. Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if any estimate has been made of the additional journey time for motorists arising from delays resulting from lane closures on motorways in Britain.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

No. We aim to keep delays to the minimum. Lane rental contracts saved 830 days of obstruction last year. The figure is two thirds higher than the year before.

Mrs. Golding

Is the Minister aware that the M6 motorway, which passes through my constituency, carries much more traffic than it was originally designed to carry? Is he further aware that that has resulted in high costs of repair and intolerable delays? Can he inform the House when a relief road will be provided for the over-burdened section of the M6 motorway?

Mr. Bottomley

No, I cannot. It is worth remembering that much of the obstruction on the motorways followed from an announcement made in 1975 by a former Minister for Transport, the right hon. Member for Dudley, East (Dr. Gilbert), who said: I have decided to cut maintenance expenditure per mile on trunk roads and I urge local authorities to do the same."—[Official Report, 24 July 1975; Vol. 896, c. 318.] That announcement was followed by a 40 per cent. cut in maintenance and we are still trying to catch up.

Mr. Higgins

Has my hon. Friend noticed that delays are much worse when the closure involves the outside lane of a motorway rather than the inside lanes? That is so because anti-social characters rush along the outside lane and then there is delay while they try to cut in. Will my hon. Friend consider placing "no overtaking" signs ahead of signs that states that an outside lane is to be closed?

Mr. Bottomley

That is one of the issues that we are seriously considering. After tragic and often unnecessary crashes on the motorways, one of the things that I welcome is the increased publicity, especially by television, regarding those drivers who think that they are being clever by moving into the contraflow two or three vehicles ahead of those they would have followed if they had moved, as suggested by my right hon. Friend the Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins), into the inside lanes when advised by the notice.

Mr. Boyes

Does the Minister agree that there are also delays on the A19, particularly, but not exceptionally, in my constituency — [HON. MKMBERS: "That is not a motorway."] It is a motorway. Will the Minister also explain why the A19 is always under repair well before—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Is the A19 a motorway?

Mr. Robert Hughes

It should be.

Mr. Bottomley

Perhaps I can look at that matter and write to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes).

Mr. Dickens

Is my right hon. Friend aware that each time a lane is closed on a motorway it costs industry, salesmen and directors millions of pounds because of lost meetings and the rest of it? When a decision is made to close a lane, does the road contruction unit make that decision, or the more local road maintenance unit? As so much money is involved and there is a loss to British industry, can we ensure that the ground rules are well in place before lanes are closed?

Mr. Bottomley

Yes, Sir.