§ Sir A. Meyerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes to switch on the fog warning system on the M.4 motorway; and what plans he has for reducing the time required.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe amber warning lights are switched on as the police consider appropriate when a serious hazard exists on a motorway. The time that this takes depends on the nature of the hazard, on the availability of police patrols and on how many sets of lights the police decide to switch on. The Commissioner of Police informs me that during the period 27th December, 1965 to 24th January, 1966 the time taken on five occasions to switch on between two and twenty-two sets of amber warning lights on the M.4 motorway within the Metropolitan Police District varied between 6 and 35 minutes. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and I are keeping the system under review.