§ 50. Sir BERTRAM FALLEasked the Minister of Transport whether the various authorities responsible for the excavations which have been closed and reopened on different levels at Piccadilly Circus at intervals during the past five years have mapped out a joint time and progress schedule; and, if so, will be obtain and place a copy of the schedule in the Library for the inspection of hon. Members?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Pybus)The arrangements have throughout been carefully co-ordinated and from time to time adjusted in discussion between the Commissioner of Police, the Westminster City Council, the Underground Railway Company and my Department. While I do not think that it would be convenient to place a large and complicated series of drawings in the Library, I shall be happy to show them to my hon. Friend.
§ Sir ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELDoes not the fact that those responsible for the work have kept open a builder's backyard in Piccadilly Circus for the last five years show a lack of efficiency on the part of his Department?
§ Mr. PYBUSWhen I last visited the site I was impressed by the sense of well-ordered organisation I found there.
§ Sir A. M. SAMUELDoes the Minister of Transport think it desirable to keep open a builder's yard in a crowded centre of London like Piccadilly for five years?
§ Mr. PYBUSI can only view the matter from the point of view of an 569 amateur, but I would always defer to the opinion of an expert on this locality.
§ Mr. BOSSOMDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it desirable that he should insist on the time table of progress being carried out on these works in the public interest?
§ Mr. PYBUSA time table of progress has been drawn up, but it is of necessity varied from time to time by the authorities which are carrying out this complicated work.