§ 23. Viscount SANDONasked the Minister of Transport whether, as he has powers to impose co-ordination between the various authorities concerned with the taking up of London streets, he will say why the telephone service tore up Hobart Place and part of Grosvenor Gardens two weeks ago, leaving them in a far worse state than they were before, and why the Metropolitan Water Board are doing it in the same place again now, instead of at the same time as the other work?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORE-BRABAZONSection 4 of the London Traffic Act empowers me to co-ordinate in prescribed streets the works to be executed by road authorities, and for a period of 12 months after the completion of such works public utility undertakers can only break up these streets with my consent. Apart from this I have no control over the street works carried out by public utility undertakers, and those referred to in my Noble Friend's question did not fall within the scope of Section 4 of the Act.
§ Sir H. CRAIKAre we to be always at the mercy of those arbitrary interruptions of traffic which are apparently made without the slightest regulation or co-ordination?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORE-BRABAZONThe answer to my right hon. Friend is that it would be advantageous to amend the Traffic Act so as to give powers for a longer period than one year.