Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 6 March 1935.
Captain BALFOUR:
40.asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the difficulty to motorists in telling whether traffic lights are registering green, amber, or red when, in certain lights, the sun is shining straight on the glass colour faces; and whether he will consider an auxiliary arm indicator to work in conjunction with the lights, as is used in the United States of America, or some other means to overcome this difficulty?
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
If my hon. Friend will give me the location of any particular installation of signals where such difficulty arises, I will have the signals inspected at once.
Captain BALFOUR:
Is the hon. Member aware that this difficulty can occur at any of the traffic lights under certain conditions in sunlight? Will he ride down the Great West Road about midday on a bright sunny day, and he will be unable to see whether the lights are registering amber, green or red, unless he stops the car?
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
There are, unfortunately, difficulties in the way of the complete success of any system, but I do not think that the difficulty is as widespread as my hon. and gallant Friend thinks.
Mr Oliver Simmonds
, Birmingham Duddeston
asked the Minister of Transport whether he will arrange for a suitable sign to be erected at all road junctions which are controlled by a police officer and cohere a free left turn is permitted?
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
A special form of road marking is authorised for use where filtration is permitted, and, further, police normally indicate to drivers where a left-hand turn is permitted. If my hon. Friend has any particular junctions in mind and will let me know of them, I will at once have further inquiries made.
Mr Oliver Simmonds
, Birmingham Duddeston
Will the Minister bear in mind that where there are traffic lights there is always an arrow pointing to the left, but that where police officers are standing on duty motorists do not realise that a free left is still open, and block the highway.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.