Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Conservative). It was answered on Wednesday, 21 July 2010.

Roads: Illegal Motorway Advertisements

Question: My Lords, following the point made by the noble Lady, and given that motorways are covered in signs saying things like ““Check your fuel””—put there at great expense—what on earth is the harm in small businesses being able to put advertisements for their products in fields on the sides of lorries? Surely at a time of recession, with a Government committed to encouraging free enterprise and reducing regulation, this cannot be a priority?

Answer: My Lords, I thought someone would make this point. It is because of our comprehensive regulations that we do not have the situation seen in overseas countries, where roads are littered with advertisements. We have an effective system.

Secondary information