Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) ensure that hard shoulders are reinstated along every motorway and (b) abolish the smart motorway programme on all UK motorways.

The Government has decided to cancel plans for the construction of all new smart motorway schemes. Restoring the hard shoulder while maintaining capacity would be hugely disruptive and come at enormous cost.

The added congestion caused would push motorists from motorways, the safest roads in the country, onto roads that are less safe, putting all road users at increased risk.