§ Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about his policy in regard to fitting full scale hard shoulders, as distinct from hard verges, on roads.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe Department's policy is to provide continuous hard shoulders, 3.3 metres wide and of the same construction as the rest of the road, on rural motorways and as much urban motorway as possible. Hardened verges, where the verge is strengthened and grassed, ceased to be specified in 1968. Since 1968 our policy has been to provide hard strips, one metre wide and of the same construction as the rest of the road, abutting the edge of the carriageway on the majority of all-purpose trunk roads, with lay-bys at least 3 metres wide at intervals.