§ 43. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Transport if he anticipates being able to make any grant from the Road Fund this year to assist the Corporation of the City of Kingston-upon-Hull and the London and North-Eastern Railway Company to abolish certain or all of the level crossings in Hull; if he is aware of the hindrance these level crossings are to traffic in the East Riding of Yorkshire and to commerce in the City of Hull; if he is aware that this evil is a growing one and will become acute when trade revives; and what is his present attitude in the matter?
§ Colonel ASHLEYHaving regard to the magnitude of the projects contemplated by the corporation, and the period which is likely to be occupied by negotiations before terms can be agreed between the parties affected, I consider it improbable that any grant from the Road Fund will be made or needed during the financial year 1927–28. While I regard sympathetically all efforts to eliminate level crossings which seriously impede transport by road, I have to bear in mind that the total number on important Class I roads is considerably in excess of 200.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWhat does the Minister mean by lack of agreement? When we saw him last year, the North-Eastern Railway Company and the Corporation were in complete agreement, and his own experts were in agreement to.
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe complete agreement in the one case was that the Road Fund should bear the greater part of the cost.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if this work is not done now, when trade revives we shall be in a very serious position indeed on the East coast?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI quite appreciate the hon. and gallant Member's view and that of his constituents, but he must remember that this is a very big scheme, which would require a-very large sum of money, and that there are many other interests and localities which have to be considered.