Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraphs 18 to 21 of the Government Response to the Transport Select Committee’s Third Report on the Rollout and safety of smart motorways, HC 26, published on 12 January 2022, whether (a) motorway service stations, (b) slip roads and (c) hard shoulders are defined as emergency refuge areas by National Highways in its work retrofitting all-lane running motorways.

In the Government’s response to the Transport Committee report published in January 2022, we announced that we would be committing £390 million to add around 50% more places to stop in an emergency by 2025, giving drivers added reassurance. National Highways is currently developing a detailed programme of work which will set out the type and location of emergency areas to be delivered.