§ 29. Mr. THORNE (for Mr. GROVES)asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the distress caused by unemployment in West Ham and the need for the widening of High Street, Stratford, and seeing that Parliament has already sanctioned the necessary powers, he will sanction the immediate commencement of the whole of the work known as the red-line scheme, which has already been approved by the engineers of his Department?
§ Mr. PYBUSI have already made a grant to enable one section of this scheme to be put in hand forthwith at an estimated cost of £70,000, and the work has been begun. The whole scheme is estimated to cost over £1,000,000, of which nearly 60 per cent. represents property. It cannot be regarded as specially adapted to provide employment, and I am not in a position to assist at present any other section of the work than that to which I have referred.
§ Mr. THORNEWill not the hon. Gentleman reconsider his decision, because there is a jam there on account of the immense amount of traffic which goes through the street? Such a scheme would be the means of providing work for the unemployed.
§ Mr. PYBUSI can assure the hon. Gentleman that from the point of view of traffic consideration the scheme has my sympathy, but for the other considerations which I have mentioned in answer to the question it cannot be proceeded with?