A12 (Hansard, 9 May 1994)

§ 7. Mr. Whittingdale
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is intending to take to improve safety on the A12.

§ The Minister for Roads and Traffic (Mr. Robert Key)
Work will start on the Witham bypass section at the end of June. I have asked the Highways Agency to bring forward work on the Feering to Marks Tey safety fence improvements, which will now start this year.

§ Mr. Whittingdale
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer, but is he aware that it is now nine months since my constituent, Cheryl Franklin, a 27-year-old bride on her way to her honeymoon, was killed as a result of her car crossing the central reservation? Does he accept that it is essential that that work should go ahead as soon as possible if we are to avoid similar tragedies?

§ Mr. Key
Yes, I am aware of that case due to the diligence of my hon. Friend, who has made representations to me, the campaign of the Colchester Evening Gazette and the letter sent to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State from Her Majesty's coroner for the county of Essex. It has taken a number of months to commission work from our agents, Essex county council. It has completed its work, which had to be evaluated, and, as I have just announced, we are proceeding with all speed.

§ Ms. Walley
When will the Government realise that if they talk about safety, they must talk about safety with integrity? We have just heard the Government's response to the Fennell report and now we have heard the Government's response to road safety, exactly at the same time as they are privatising the Transport Research Laboratory. Where is the Government's long-term vision and when—

Madem Speaker
Order. I think that the hon. Lady is on the wrong question, but it appears that the Minister is able to give a reply.

§ Mr. Key
In relation to safety on the A12 and safety policy, we do not count the pennies when it comes to safety. That is exactly why our road safety scheme budget was effectively ring-fenced in this financial year, so there was no reduction in it. That, too, is why we shall continue to improve road safety by engineering better roads.