HC Deb 06 July 1955 vol 543 cc1102-4
13. Mr. P. Williams

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress has so far been made in carrying out the road development plans announced in his statement on 2nd February, 1955.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

In my statement on 2nd February I named twenty-seven large schemes which I hoped to authorise this year. I have no reason to doubt that they will be duly authorised. I expect that actual work will have started on at least a quarter of those schemes by the end of September and that work on practically all the remainder will start before the end of the financial year. Many other smaller schemes will of course also be put in hand this year.

Mr. Williams

While that interim progress report appears to be satisfactory, would it not be more helpful to give details of the progress of particular schemes such as those for the Catterick by-pass and the Newcastle-Throckley dual carriageway improvements?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I announced on 2nd February a number of larger schemes, and, as I then said to the House, for the sake of keeping the programme reasonably flexible, I did not want to announce too many ahead. I should like to consider what my hon. Friend has said.

Mr. T. Williams

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that the preliminary work is being undertaken progressively on the Doncaster by-pass?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I have very much in mind the Doncaster by-pass, which the right hon. Gentleman was good enough to talk over with me the other day.

Mr. Holt

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some people may, by the announcement he made yesterday, have been misled into believing that the February programme has in some way been extended or expedited? Would he say what is holding up this programme? Is the reason technical or financial?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The programme, as the hon. Gentleman will appreciate if he reads the report of the Answer I have given, is proceeding satisfactorily.

Mr. Ernest Davies

All these schemes which have so far been authorised represent one-quarter of those announced. How many of them were included in the programme of December, 1953, of the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor? What is the right hon. Gentleman's estimate of the Exchequer expenditure during the current financial year? Will it be more or less than what the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor estimated in December, 1953?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

If the hon. Gentleman wants more information than that I have already given the House on the subject, perhaps he will be good enough to table a Question about it.