HL Deb 08 May 1973 vol 342 cc255-6

2.52 p.m.

BARONESS PHILLIPS

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 what is the function of the aluminium mushroom-shaped objects now being installed in central London streets.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords it would seem the noble Baroness, Lady Phillips, is referring to the small boxes, often mounted on posts, containing equipment to receive signals from adjacent cable loops embedded in the carriageway to detect vehicles approaching traffic signals.

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, I should like to ask him whether he is aware that one of these objects appeared in Whitehall last Friday. They are not the large boxes, but flat boxes. I feel that many citizens are a little concerned as to whether some sinister influence is afoot.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, my information is that there are now somewhere between forty and fifty of these boxes in the Metropolis. If the noble Baroness and I live another three years we may perhaps find 300 or 400. They are, I gather, about 13¼ inches high, 8 inches wide and 4¾ inches in depth, and they are designed to act as detector units to warn traffic control of queues which may be building up.