§ Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his Department's policy on the provision of layby facilities on dual carriageway roads;
(2) why he considers layby facilities to be necessary on dual carriageway roads, in view of the fact that no such facilities are provided on motorways except at service areas;
(3) what representations he has received from farmers' organisations against the nuisance and damage to their property arising from layby facilities on dual carriageways.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeOur policy is to provide a layby approximately every kilometre, as topography permits. Laybys are used as halting places on long journeys and for vehicles which have broken down. On motorways these needs are met by service areas and by the continuous hard shoulders in emergencies. A full check on representations from farmers' organisations has not been practicable, but I am aware that laybys sometimes cause problems from litter and even vandalism.