HC Deb 09 December 1931 vol 260 cc1849-50
29. Sir COOPER RAWSON

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that men are being added to the unemployment registers in different parts of the country or being put on short time, and that some quarries have been compelled to close down owing to the total abolition of some road schemes; and whether His Majesty's Government will confer with local authorities on this subject with a view to hardship being avoided?

Mr. PYBUS

I do not overlook the aspect of retrenchment to which the hon. Member calls attention and in arranging for the curtailment or postponement of roadworks it is my practice to consult the local authorities and obtain their co-operation with a view to avoiding unnecessary hardship.

30. Mr. COCKS

asked the Minister of Transport if he can give an estimate of the number of persons who have lost their employment, directly and indirectly respectively, as the result of the abandonment or slowing down, in pursuance of the Government's economy policy, of schemes of road and bridge improvement and development and of transport improvement generally?

Mr. PYBUS

I am not in a position to give the information asked for by the hon. Member as figures are not available.

Mr. COCKS

Is the Minister aware that this question was addressed to him on the suggestion of the Minister of Labour?

Mr. PYBUS

I do not know anything about that.

Mr. COCKS

He referred me to you for information of that sort.

33. Mr. W. THORNE

asked the Minister of Transport what action the Government propose to take upon the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Transport with regard to allocating a sum from the Road Fund for the strengthening of weak bridges, to provide work for those engaged in the steel industry, and eliminating level crossings by bridges and tunnels?

34. Mr. CHORLTON

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he has taken to carry out the recommendation in paragraph 35 of the Report of the Royal Commission on Transport that level crossings should be eliminated and replaced by bridges?

36. Mr. PEAT

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he has taken, in view of paragraph 31 of the Report of the Royal Commission on Transport, to formulate a special programme in regard to the strengthening of weak bridges at the rate of not less than 1,000 bridges a year and setting aside special sums from the Road Fund for the purpose?

Mr. PYBUS

It has been the practice to make exceptional grants towards the reconstruction of weak railway and canal bridges and to the elimination of level crossings and substantial progress has been achieved. While this policy must be subject to some limitation by reason of the urgent need for economy in public expenditure, schemes of this character submitted by highway authorities will continue to receive my sympathetic consideration so far as funds are available.

35. Mr. PEAT

asked the Minister of Transport, when making grants for the development of road schemes, if he will discriminate between those schemes of which the largest proportion of the cost is the purchase of property and schemes of which at least 75 per cent. of the cost goes to labour and materials?

Mr. PYBUS

All road schemes are now being reviewed in the light of the urgent need for economy in public expenditure. In this review the consideration referred to by my hon. Friend is taken into account.