§ 8. Mr. Deedesasked the Minister of Transport what has been the approximate cost to date of maintenance work on the unfinished Ashford, Kent, by-pass, on which work has been suspended; and, approximately, how much is being spent on this work each month.
§ Mr. BarnesThe total to date is about £20,000. The average monthly expenditure recently has been about £570.
§ Mr. DeedesIs the Minister aware that he would probably save public money if he got on with the scheme and allowed it to be completed? In view of the answer which he has just given about road safety, will he have another look at the scheme, particularly in view of the fact that the Minister of Town and Country Planning is proposing to double the size of his town and that the roads, including the main coast road, are already dangerous and chaotic? Will he have another look at this?
§ Mr. BarnesIf looking at a scheme could solve the problem I should do it repeatedly. While this scheme ranks very high in priority it had, unfortunately, to be stopped under the general restrictions which I mentioned earlier.