asked the Minister of Transport if, for an experimental period, he will ban all right turns on the Great West Road.

No, Sir. Our engineers are studying various means of reducing traffic delays at the junctions on this road. At some, an improved layout may be desirable. At others, the right turn may be banned and an alternative route indicated. It would be wrong to ban all right turns without considering the traffic requirements at each junction.

I am sorry to have to say that I find that reply very disappointing. Is not my hon. Friend aware, and has not he been aware now for some time, that the congestion on the Great West Road is becoming quite intolerable? Is not he aware that this suggestion at least contains the germ of something which might make it possible to get along this now very dangerous road where the problems and hazards are not in any way cured by the imposition of a futile speed limit which nobody observes?

We are well aware of the problems on this road. That is one reason why we are looking forward to a considerable improvement when the London-South Wales motorway is completed—[HON. MEMBERS: "When?"]—fairly soon. The London Traffic Management Unit is making a comprehensive survey of traffic conditions, and I can tell my hon. Friend that we are not just dealing with the banning of right turns here. There are a number of other devices and methods which it is intended to use and which are tailor-made for each individual junction. It would not do simply to ban all right turns and leave it at that.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, with a view to speeding up the flow of traffic from London to the north-east Essex coast, he will consider making a series of one-way routes to deal with peak-time holiday traffic.

No, Sir. A one-way traffic system in a rural area, even if it would help holiday traffic, would be likely to cause grave inconvenience to the local users of the roads. The local authorities responsible are, however, arranging for alternative routes to the Essex coast to be signposted, and for the police to divert traffic from main roads when necessary.

Is my hon. Friend aware that I regard that as a very unsatisfactory reply? Is he aware that until he can expedite the work on the Stanway by-pass and the Brentwood bypass and at Gallows Corner more radical schemes are needed to overcome the serious problems arising from the increased flow of traffic to the north-east Essex coast? Will my hon. Friend please stop being so complacent about it?

These are pretty hard words for my hon. Friend to use. I tried to answer the Question on the Order Paper which suggested that my right hon. Friend should make a series of one-way roads in rural Essex. I have given reasons why we do not think that a suitable method for dealing with the problem. I can assure my hon. Friend that there are many other things that we are trying to do, including looking into the problems on the various roads which he mentioned. I hope that these will have some alleviating effect.

Will my hon. Friend realise that nothing could be more inconvenient to people living near that road, and that it is quite impossible over many hours of the weekend to get across it or to get on to it? Is he aware that something must be done either by way of by-passes or by the adoption of the idea of my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale).

Perhaps my Answer was not quite so discouraging as was thought by my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale).

In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall endeavour to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made with the re-signing of routes to the south-west in order to encourage holiday traffic to use alternative routes.

With the co-operation of the highway authorities and the motoring organisations, eighteen routes in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset and Devon have been signposted as alternatives to main routes which are liable to congestion in summer.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the importance to the West Country of the holiday industry? Does he appreciate that this alternative route business is a palliative and that what we really need is a higher priority of Government spending on roads in the West Country?

Yes, Sir. The large deputation from many local authorities in the West Country which I recently saw on behalf of my right hon. Friend impressed that point upon me very forcibly.

asked the Minister of Transport what general directions he has given to the British Transport Commission with regard to membership by their employees of appropriate trade unions.

None, Sir. I do not consider that this is a matter in which a general direction would be appropriate.

Has the attention of my right hon. Friend been directed to damages awarded to an employee of B.O.A.C. dismissed by the co-operation of the trade unions and the Board of B.O.A.C? May I have an assurance from my right hon. Friend that the British Transport Commission will not get itself involved in politics or involved in any controversy about trade unions? May I have an assurance that the Commission will be fair, strong and resolute in trying to look to the interests of the Commission as a whole and not in getting rid of employees on grounds for which it probably has no reason?

I realise that my hon. Friend has strong views on this subject, but membership of trade unions within a nationalised industry is a matter of management and not an appropriate one for the Minister to intervene in.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the larger type of road transport vehicles which are not fitted with trafficators; and what consideration he has given to this matter in his efforts to reduce road traffic accidents.

The fitting of direction indicators is not yet a compulsory requirement for any class of vehicle; I do not expect to decide whether or not to make direction indicators compulsory until we have had experience of the working of new regulations affecting indicators, where these are already fitted, proposals for which I have circulated for comment. The proposals are based on the recommendations of a Working Party of the Economic Commission for Europe. Detailed comments are now being received and studied.

Will the Minister of Transport, when looking at this problem of trafficators, also consider the problem of the size of the vehicles now being produced for our roads, and the size of the cabs, as well as the difficulties of following traffic in observing the signals given by the drivers of these very large vehicles, and also the danger which these vehicles constitute on the roads today?

Yes, Sir. That will be one of many considerations which we have in mind. These regulations have been circulated, and I am now awaiting comments. It is very important that we should make absolutely certain before we make anything compulsory that it is the right signal. I very much hope that we can get an international standard, so that cars going to the Continent will have to comply with the same standards as here.

The right hon. Gentleman has referred to the problem of trafficators on these large vehicles—these outsize vehicles, I might say. Some articulated vehicles are over 100 feet long, carrying weights of up to 150 tons. Is the Minister aware that for the past three years I have been constantly assured in this House that the Ministry has an inter-Departmental committee considering the whole question of out size vehicles on the roads, but that nothing emerges from the consideration of this committee? Is it not time that we got some definite lead from the Government as to what we are to do about these monstrosities?

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question is misconceived. I can send him details of quite a lot that has been done on heavy vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is yet in a position to make a statement as to the early amendment of Regulation 21 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955.

We hope shortly to make and lay before the House an amendment supplementing Regulation 21 by requiring the excess fuel device to be so placed that it cannot be used while the vehicle is in motion.

Can the Minister say what he means by "shortly"? Is he not aware of the very great deal of feeling about this matter, which has been the subject of endless delay and excuses from the Ministry? May we have an assurance that we shall have a debate before the Summer Recess?

I hope so, but I cannot say for certain, and I cannot give an exact date. The work on this is very far advanced now, and I hope that it will be settled before very long.

When my right hon. Friend is considering amending legislation, will he include in the Regulations the words "annoyance or inconvenience to the public", because it is a strongly held feeling that the police would have a much easier task in prosecuting offenders if these words were in the Regulations?

I will have a look at that, but this is a somewhat complex and technical matter. I would not like to give a firm, categorical assurance, but we will consider that technical point and we shall take advice on it.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement about the London traffic origin and destination survey that he announced a year ago; by whom it is being conducted; when it commenced work; when its report will be available; and whether he is satisfied that its scope is comprehensive enough to provide the information necessary for the long-term flowing of London traffic.

Messrs. Freeman, Fox and Partners were appointed by the L.C.C. and myself in December last, to advise on the form and organisation of this survey. Their report has been fully considered by my advisers and by those of the L.C.C, and I hope that the contract will be let this month. The field work can then begin with the ending of the holiday season.

The final report will probably take eighteen months to two years to prepare, but it will be preceded by interim reports. It will be the largest study of its kind undertaken anywhere in the world, and I am satisfied that it will provide us with the information we require.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman two supplementary questions? Will the survey provide all the information necessary for planning the road system of London twenty or thirty years ahead, or is it not a survey on too small a scale for that? Secondly, why has there been all this delay? It was in the summer of last year that this important survey was announced, and now it is to be many months before it is to be started. Surely, this is wholly unnecessary. Is it not just another example of the delaying methods of the Ministry of Transport?

I do not think so at all. First, as to the scope of the survey, it will be wide enough. In terms of the population to be covered, it is already the largest traffic survey in the world, and to increase its size would make it unmanageable. Therefore, I think that it will give us all the information we want. There has been no delay, for this reason: it was necessary for the consultants themselves to consider the terms of reference to see whether they could make suggestions, and for the L.C.C. to make its own suggestions, so that the actual terms of reference, when they started work, would ensure that we get the right sort of report. I hope that the L.C.C. will consider it in its Roads Committee on 9th June, and get it through the full Council by the 20th, so that we can move straight away.

Will the survey assist the Minister to consider the effect of dual carriageways in the central areas of large cities like London, having regard to the very strong criticism made and the probability that the creation of dual carriageways in central areas merely brings in increased traffic and ultimately adds to the congestion?

The main objects of the survey are, outside the L.C.C. area, to establish the design capacity of main motorways and trunk roads leading into London, and to enable the design capacity and optimum general location of main crossing or ring roads to be decided; and, inside the L.C.C. area, to allow the best general location and design capacity of the main new and improved roads to be decided.