I can assure my hon. Friend that we are well aware of the risks associated with the smart motorway scheme. I know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is looking at it right now.

Last week many people welcomed the five-year moratorium on smart motorways. However, the M27 is due to be

opened as a smart motorway in a couple of months. What reassurance can my right hon. Friend give my constituents, and others in the rest of south Hampshire, that the M27 will be safe, to give them confidence to use it?

Highways England runs regular national public information campaigns to help improve driver confidence and safety when using the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Detailed advice about safe driving on England’s motorways and major A-roads is available on its website www.highwaysengland.co.uk/motorways.

Since 2016, Highways England has run eight national smart motorways public awareness campaigns. Last Summer and again in February this year, it ran national public awareness campaigns on how to drive safely on its motorways, including messaging on what to do in a breakdown and smart motorway features, including Red X and variable speed limits. Highways England will continue to deliver national public awareness campaigns, with the next one planned for later this year on what to do in the event of a breakdown.

More widely, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State commissioned a review into smart motorway safety which reported earlier this year, with 18 measures to raise the bar on smart motorway safety, notwithstanding that the evidence shows that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. These measures included committing to an additional £5million on national targeted communications campaigns to further increase awareness and understanding of smart motorways, how they work and how to use them confidently.

Highways England is delivering a number of communications activities for the M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme ahead of opening to help customers understand how to safely use a smart motorway. These include local exhibition events at community centres along the length of the scheme, information points at shopping centres, and the creation of scheme specific newsletters as well as information leaflets. Local authorities and other key stakeholders are also encouraged to share information using their own communication channels. Highways England expects to follow a similar communication strategy for the M3 scheme.

The M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme will utilise variable mandatory speed limits (VMSL) which are set automatically in response to the level of congestion or traffic queues. Sensors detect the speed and volume of traffic, and this is used to calculate the optimum speed to keep vehicles moving smoothly, reducing the level of stop-start traffic and congestion.

The M3 Junctions 9 to 14 Smart Motorway Scheme is also planned to operate with VMSLs following a consultation, in which there was no opposition to the specifics of implementing VMSL.

Highways England runs regular national public information campaigns to help improve driver confidence and safety when using the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Detailed advice about safe driving on England’s motorways and major A-roads is available on its website www.highwaysengland.co.uk/motorways.

Since 2016, Highways England has run eight national smart motorways public awareness campaigns. Last Summer and again in February this year, it ran national public awareness campaigns on how to drive safely on its motorways, including messaging on what to do in a breakdown and smart motorway features, including Red X and variable speed limits. Highways England will continue to deliver national public awareness campaigns, with the next one planned for later this year on what to do in the event of a breakdown.

More widely, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State commissioned a review into smart motorway safety which reported earlier this year, with 18 measures to raise the bar on smart motorway safety, notwithstanding that the evidence shows that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. These measures included committing to an additional £5million on national targeted communications campaigns to further increase awareness and understanding of smart motorways, how they work and how to use them confidently.

Highways England is delivering a number of communications activities for the M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme ahead of opening to help customers understand how to safely use a smart motorway. These include local exhibition events at community centres along the length of the scheme, information points at shopping centres, and the creation of scheme specific newsletters as well as information leaflets. Local authorities and other key stakeholders are also encouraged to share information using their own communication channels. Highways England expects to follow a similar communication strategy for the M3 scheme.

The M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme will utilise variable mandatory speed limits (VMSL) which are set automatically in response to the level of congestion or traffic queues. Sensors detect the speed and volume of traffic, and this is used to calculate the optimum speed to keep vehicles moving smoothly, reducing the level of stop-start traffic and congestion.

The M3 Junctions 9 to 14 Smart Motorway Scheme is also planned to operate with VMSLs following a consultation, in which there was no opposition to the specifics of implementing VMSL.

Highways England runs regular national public information campaigns to help improve driver confidence and safety when using the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Detailed advice about safe driving on England’s motorways and major A-roads is available on its website www.highwaysengland.co.uk/motorways.

Since 2016, Highways England has run eight national smart motorways public awareness campaigns. Last Summer and again in February this year, it ran national public awareness campaigns on how to drive safely on its motorways, including messaging on what to do in a breakdown and smart motorway features, including Red X and variable speed limits. Highways England will continue to deliver national public awareness campaigns, with the next one planned for later this year on what to do in the event of a breakdown.

More widely, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State commissioned a review into smart motorway safety which reported earlier this year, with 18 measures to raise the bar on smart motorway safety, notwithstanding that the evidence shows that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. These measures included committing to an additional £5million on national targeted communications campaigns to further increase awareness and understanding of smart motorways, how they work and how to use them confidently.

Highways England is delivering a number of communications activities for the M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme ahead of opening to help customers understand how to safely use a smart motorway. These include local exhibition events at community centres along the length of the scheme, information points at shopping centres, and the creation of scheme specific newsletters as well as information leaflets. Local authorities and other key stakeholders are also encouraged to share information using their own communication channels. Highways England expects to follow a similar communication strategy for the M3 scheme.

The M27 Junction 4 to 11 Smart Motorway Scheme will utilise variable mandatory speed limits (VMSL) which are set automatically in response to the level of congestion or traffic queues. Sensors detect the speed and volume of traffic, and this is used to calculate the optimum speed to keep vehicles moving smoothly, reducing the level of stop-start traffic and congestion.

The M3 Junctions 9 to 14 Smart Motorway Scheme is also planned to operate with VMSLs following a consultation, in which there was no opposition to the specifics of implementing VMSL.

The first Road Investment Strategy funded Highways England to develop a smart motorway scheme for Junctions 4-11 of the M27; they are currently designing that scheme and engaging with local and technical stakeholders.

The M27 between junctions 11 (Fareham) and 12 (Portsmouth) was upgraded with climbing lanes (for heavy goods vehicles) in 2008. Any extension of the smart motorway scheme to reach Junction 12 would be considered for inclusion in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2). Decisions on RIS2 will draw on evidence which Highways England has collected about the performance of the Strategic Road Network and its future needs; the Department will consult on Highways England’s initial report shortly.

Highways England is guided by the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges on the provision of new accesses and interchanges to the Strategic Road Network. As well as monitoring traffic flow data, they assess information from local development plans and local highway and planning authorities to identify when and where additional junctions are required.

I understand you met recently with Highways England at which unfortunately you were advised that a new junction could not be built to current standards at this location on the M27 due to other road improvements made since the motorway was constructed. Highways England is continuing to discuss this important matter with the local planning authority and monitoring developments in the vicinity.

The upgrade to junction 10 on the M27 has been profiled to start its preliminary work this year. The Government have contributed £14.9 million through the Solent local enterprise partnership growth deal to make up the shortfall of the scheme. In March, they also contributed £3.4 million in the second growth deal to support the local connections into the junction, and those works will start in 2015.

Junction 10 on the M27 has been identified for vital upgrading to an all-moves junction. Such work is vital to support the strategic development area of Welborne, bringing 6,000 new homes. Can my hon. Friend confirm that those works will be taking place in the first half of this Parliament, and that the funding shortfall of £30 million will come from central Government?

In the June 2013 spending round, 15 smart motorway interventions were confirmed for delivery post 2015. The M27 J4 – J11 was one of 15 locations identified.

The Highways Agency has been progressing traffic modelling, technical/environmental surveys, development of the operational concept and design work. This will support delivery of a programme of smart motorway solutions across the 15 locations.

Yes, this issue is rightly raised by a number of hon. Members. We have taken action to reduce noise on some key roads and I hear what he says about the M27. There will be money for extensive resurfacing—we are talking about resurfacing 80% of the nation’s roads—and I will look at his case in that spirit.

Sections of the M27 in my constituency—the busiest motorway per mile in the country—are so noisy that local residents are unable to open their windows in the stifling summers that climate change has brought us, and that affects their health and sanity. My constituency continues to wait for resurfacing, so will the Minister please investigate the provision of effective noise barriers to save my residents’ health and sanity?