§ 36. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health what progress is being made with the proposed scheme for a new road between Glasgow and Edinburgh; and what action the Government propose to 1166 take in view of the promise of the Government to provide relief work for the unemployed in the Clyde area?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI have been asked to answer this question. Officers of my Department have completed a survey and a detailed estimate of the cost of a scheme for improving the communications by road between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Frequent conferences have been held with representatives of the local authorities concerned, but they have not yet reached agreement as to the apportionment of their share of the cost. As regards the second part of the question, two important schemes for the relief of unemployment in the Clyde area are likely to be put in hand at an early date with the assistance of 50 per cent. grants from the Road Fund. These are the constructior of a new road from Glasgow to Duntocher by the Glasgow Corporation, and of a new road from Duntocher to Bowling by the Dumbarton County Council. Tenders for these two projects have been invited and are now under consideration by the two local authorities referred to.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs it not the case that the answer in regard to the Glasgow-Edinburgh road is precisely similar to the answer which the hon. Gentleman gave me three months ago, and can he not hold out a reasonable hope that the road will be proceeded with?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThat may be so. I have not the answer exactly in my mind. The fault is not with the Ministry of Transport. We offered to pay half the cost. The difficulty is to get local authorities to decide how they will make up the balance. An officer of my Department is going up to-night, and is to have a conference with the local authorities to-morrow.