asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether a gradient of between 3·2 per cent. and 3·8 per cent. for a distance of three miles is acceptable on safety grounds in the construction of a motorway.

In circumstances where topography makes it uneconomic to obtain a flatter gradient or where there are overriding environmental considerations, a gradient of between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. is considered acceptable over a distance of this order.