(Walsall South) (Lab):...Nothing
has been said about the deaths resulting from smart motorways. The
Minister who signed them off, the right hon. Member for Hemel
Hempstead ( ), has called for a halt and
accused Highways England of “casually ignoring commitments” on
safety systems. At the same time, the bosses at Highways England
have received a pay rise, with the number who have salaries over
£100,000 rising from six to 63 since 2013. Why is this happening
when the staff at the bottom have received a pay rise of 0% or 1%?
Who are those bosses accountable to? This is exactly what
contributes to the democratic deficit. May we have a statement on
why they were able to award themselves that pay rise, and on when
smart motorways will end?
The Leader of the House of Commons ( ): The right hon.
Lady raises some very important questions relating to the pay rises
at Highways England when the smart motorways programme is under
such question. I think we all have the deepest sympathy for those
who have been affected by the failures on smart motorways, and
these concerns have registered very clearly with my right hon.
Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, who has said in
unequivocal terms:
“Smart motorways must be as safe or safer than regular motorways,
or we shouldn’t have them at all.”
However, there is a review going on, and it would be wrong of me
to try to pre-empt it.
(Crawley) (Con): Since
July 2018, junctions 8 to 10 of the M23 have been reconstructed
into a so-called smart motorway. The closures continue. Both
north and south sections will be completely closed every weekend
next month while the work is taking place. The absurdity of this
situation is that smart motorways are now under review, so it
could be that one is built at great inconvenience to travellers
and will then need to be undone, probably causing more years of
work. Can we please have a statement from the Transport
Secretary?
Mr Rees-Mogg: I completely share and sympathise with my hon.
Friend’s concern because I travel down to Somerset almost every
weekend on the M4, which is going through exactly the same pain.
There are random closures without any proper warning and the
gantries display messages saying that it will take a few minutes
to get to an exit beyond the one that is closed. Highways England
does not seem to give one proper information. It is a matter of
great significance on which we should have debates, but I think
it is more a subject for an Adjournment debate than a debate in
Government time.
