§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls have been made to the cones hotline in each calendar month since its establishment; how many calls have been under the remit of the cones hotline; how many calls have resulted in cones being removed from the public highway; how much it has cost his Department to operate the hotline; what changes he plans to make to its operation; what assessment he has made of it; and if he will make a statement. [4435]
§ Mr. WattsI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 6 November at column 759, which answers most of the points that he has raised. My Department does not have a record of the number of calls made to the cones hotline in each calendar month since its establishment in June 1992, but information from the Highways Agency on the number of calls made each month this year is as follows:
Date Number Cones hotline January 1995 900 February 1995 750 March 1995 450 April 1995 1,100 May 1995 1,000 June 1995 1,050 July 1995 800 August 1995 300 Highways Agency information line September 1995 800 October 1995 1,150 November 1995 1,250 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 50 calls.