§ 41. Mr. SCRYMGEOURasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the proposal to hold a conference of local authorities regarding the proposed road bridges over the Rivers Forth and Tay, the Government has now decided in favour of this scheme; and, if so, whether the subject matter of the conference will pertain only to the local authorities' share of the capital cost or to other expenditure?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONNo decision has been taken in favour of any of the various bridge schemes under consideration affecting the Forth and the Tay excepting the proposed bridge at Kincardine-on-Forth. The discussion with the local authorities will therefore have to cover a wider field than that of mere apportionment of cost.
§ Mr. SCRYMGEOURAs this scheme was included in the statement of the Lord Privy Seal, as one of the proposals for providing employment, could not the Government, in order to facilitate the decision of the local authorities, afford their support to the scheme; and is not this the only way in which Scotland will get a substantial share of the money that is going?
§ Mr. MORRISONAs a matter of negotiation, I think that the suggestion of my hon. Friend would be most unwise, and, if he looks up the speech of the Lord Privy Seal, he will find that there is no inconsistency between that statement and my answer.
§ Mr. SCRYMGEOURI heard the Lord Privy Seal's statement and I have seen it since, and may I ask if the Lord Privy Seal did not state that one of the proposals under consideration was for carrying out this scheme?
§ Mr. MORRISONI do not know that I have said anything which is inconsistent with the Lord Privy Seal's statement.
§ Major COLVILLEIs it not the case that, in spite of the Lord Privy Seal's statement, the matter is exactly where it was?