Smart Motorways

Viscount Goschen Excerpts

Wednesday 11th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I can absolutely assure the noble Baroness that no more smart motorways will be installed. It is difficult when you inherit a programme, and it has obviously been done with the best of intentions—to save lives, increase capacity, help people move around and support the economy. Obviously, the costs involved are relevant, but we need to make sure that we learn from the experience we have had thus far and deal with the absolutely disgraceful issue of the safety statistics on our roads.

[Viscount Goschen (Con)]

My Lords, can the noble Baroness comment on why, on the section of the M3 between junction 2 and junction 4a, the rate at which people have been killed or seriously injured has increased by around a third?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I cannot give the noble Viscount the specific details about that particular section of road, but I am very happy to ask for those statistics.