§ 56. Mr. MATHERSasked the Minister of Transport whether he has received any reply to his request for traffic figures to justify the erection of the projected Forth and Tay road-bridges; and whether, if he has not already got the required information in his possession, he will now indicate to the local authorities precisely what information he requires?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI am in communication with the authorities concerned.
§ Mr. MATHERSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the widespread opinion that nobody is better able than himself to supply the information from Census returns and other means at his disposal which are not at the disposal of the local authorities?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI think that that is a somewhat paradoxical point of view. As the highway authorities in a certain part of Scotland are making a request to me to incur an expenditure which amounts to about £5,500,000, I called upon them to justify the traffic case on which this request was made.
§ Mr. MATHERSIs this the first time that the traffic case has been asked to be justified? Have no efforts been made during the long years in which this matter has been in hand to get some estimate which can only be conjectural with regard to traffic justification?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAIn the past it has been purely a technical question as to whether a bridge could be built and, if so, at which spot. Before making the grant I requested an investigation to find out whether the proposition was practical from the engineering point of view. I am satisfied that it is practicable, and it is now a question of whether it can be justified on traffic grounds having regard to the vast expenditure involved, and I am prepared to listen to the case.
§ Mr. MATHERSHas nothing been done in the way of providing probable figures of traffic results prior to this time?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAFor many years past there have been conjectures, but I 448 desire to make it plain that I must be satisfied there is a case, and I am not satisfied.