Totally agree with you, Acorn 4. Have encountered these around Birmingham during our long drives North and they scare me rigid! The idea is supposed to be to reduce congestion at peak times, but as you say, if you are unlucky enough to break down, you literally have nowhere to go!
It seems to be in direct contradiction to what the Police are saying on the current "A1" series on BBC TV, that broken down vehicles MUST get out of "live lanes". Well if you make all lanes, including the hard shoulder "live", where to go?