Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the news story entitled All new smart motorways scrapped, published by his Department on 15 April 2023, what plans he has for the proposed conversion of the hard shoulder between junctions 2 and 3 of the M621 to an additional lane for traffic.

On 17^th April 2023, in a Written Ministerial Statement the government confirmed that all plans for new smart motorways had been cancelled.

The M621 is not a smart motorway, it is an urban motorway with a fixed 50mph speed limit over the majority of its length. The work between junctions 2 and 3 is designed to improve journeys, traffic flow and safety. The scheme is currently in construction and will be completed as planned.