Smart Motorways

Lord Swire Excerpts

Wednesday 11th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Obviously, dealing with capacity on the roads is one of the major contributors to the value-for-money exercises in terms of reducing congestion and enabling people to move around. We need to be careful in how we analyse the reports that have just come out. This is a long-term study, and we have to be mindful of the fact that we had just been through Covid as well. However, as my noble friend says, there are examples where improvements have been made, and we will continue to analyse all the schemes to make sure that we get the best value for money and the best reduction in congestion.

[Lord Swire (Con)]

My Lords, does the Minister share my concern about the plethora of broken tyres and rubbish on both smart motorways and normal motorways? Who has responsibility for keeping these motorways clear, and what do the Government intend to do about it as part of their road strategy?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The noble Lord touches on a very sensitive point. The ward in Leeds that I represented had the M1 going right through it, and all the litter on the side of the motorways was the responsibility of National Highways. It is a crucial factor, particularly where safety is involved. Given the new smart technology that so many people have in their cars, their ability to report things as soon as they see them should help with improving the performance.