HL Deb 29 June 1971 vol 321 cc151-3
LORD THOMAS

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for co-ordinating the work of widening the M.4 motorway; by what authority long stretches of single lanes are denied to traffic without any visible signs of work taking place on or near them; and whether they are satisfied that, before decisions are taken to close any lane or lanes, the interests of the travelling public are sufficiently taken into account.]

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, has overall responsibility for the widening of the M.4 Motorway. Traffic lanes have not been closed unnecessarily, although it may not always be apparent that the work is going on. I can assure the noble Lord that every effort is made to minimise the inconvenience to the travelling public, especially during rush hours and holiday week-ends, despite the difficult circumstances.

LORD THOMAS

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that helpful reply. Is he aware that there seems to be a tendency for the M.4, as a motorway, to become a one-lane lay-by instead of a three-lane highway? Is it really not possible for the erection of central barriers and lamp-posts and for resurfacing to be done to a concurrent programme, instead of piecemeal, as seems to be the case at present?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I am happy to be able to tell the noble Lord who has asked this Question and your Lordships that this problem is nearly over. The work will be finished in September, which is a month sooner than we had previously hoped. The police, for safety reasons, have asked that traffic should not be allowed to whizz along three lanes and then be catapulted suddenly into one lane, because this would not be safe. At holiday periods, weekends and Sundays we are trying to keep two lanes always open. I am hoping that the resulting three lanes will make this a sad memory of the past, and we look forward to easy motoring.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, arising out of this Question by the noble Lord, Lord Thomas, may I ask whether the Minister is aware that the camber on the M.4 appears to be too flat? During a shower, water stays on the motorway and sheets of water are flung up behind lorries and motor traffic. Can note be taken of this and the camber of the road increased?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, that really is quite another question, but I will certainly take note of what the noble Lord has said and will bring it to the attention of my right honourable friend.

LORD KILMANY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he is aware that the unsatisfactory state of affairs on the M.4 is by no means confined to that particular motorway? Similar frustration is suffered on the M.1; and can my noble friend give an assurance that this matter will be looked at forthwith? September is still quite a long way away.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

Yes, my Lords. I have already said, in answer to previous questions, that we are looking at the two-lane problem at the southern end of the M.1, and my right honourable friend will be announcing plans if he sees fit.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, while the unfortunate motorist is being forced to crawl along the M.4, could not his anxieties be allayed by the erection of road signs explaining the various stages of these road improvements and the approximate dates of their completion?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, we have advertised very widely, and surely the public are well aware that there are these delays on the M.4. I hope the fact that I have announced September as the completion date will be widely known.

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the public are indeed conscious of the troubles on the M.4, but is he also aware that many of us did not expect them to go on for what appears to be years on end? May I ask the noble Lord whether he will cause the able Operational Research Department of the Ministry of Transport to study this matter, because one section of single-lane traffic can cause a total hold-up on the whole of the M.4? Could this be a subject for more detailed examination?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

Yes, my Lords. I am sure everything is going to be done which will help on this matter. Single-lane traffic is very exceptional now.

LORD SHACKLETON

It occurs every weekend.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

We are trying hard at weekends and holiday periods definitely to stop this. As regards future planning, it was only in 1967 that the peak capacity of this road was overtaken by traffic, and it is in the context of that that one has to look at it. We shall have it completed by September, 1971.

LORD LEATHERLAND

My Lords, as the Government seem to have got into a terrible muddle over this question, would they care to seek the advice of Mrs. Barbara Castle, the best Minister of Transport this country ever had?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, that has nothing to do with the problem, which we are overcoming.

LORD ST. JUST

My Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that it is the erection of crash barriers that very often blocks the central lanes on the motorways? Would the Government be prepared not to open new motorway extensions, such as on the M.3, until crash barriers have been erected?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, noble Lords would kick me from both directions if I said that we had no crash barriers. We are putting up crash barriers as part of the programme; and if noble Lords will have a little patience I think the roads resulting will be very satisfactory.