Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of breakdowns along the length of the M42 active traffic management pilot took place (a) in a live lane and (b) not in a live lane in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

We want our roads to be as safe as possible. That is why the Secretary of State asked the Department to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about the safety of smart motorways and make recommendations. The Department will present the findings of the stocktake shortly.

While I would not want to pre-judge the results of that work, what I can say is that we will continue to prioritise improving safety – making conditions safer for everyone on our roads. The Roads Minister will write to you as soon as the stocktake is completed to answer your specific question.