12. Mrs. Jegerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which streets were closed in central London on 16th July and for how long; whether he is aware of the dislocation caused to traffic; and if he will endeavour, on future occasions, to minimise this dislocation.
§ Mr. DeedesOn 16th July, on the occasion of the arrival in London of His Majesty the King of Iraq for a State Visit, 50 streets or parts of streets were closed for periods varying from 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 55 minutes. I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the streets closed. The closing of streets inevitably causes dislocation of traffic, but the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, who makes Regulations for the control of traffic on occasions such as this, is well aware of the need to minimise dislocation.
Mrs. JegerIs the hon. Member aware that by closing streets for more than an hour the actual delay to traffic is much more than an hour? On this occasion traffic was blocked from Trafalgar Square as far north as Holborn. Will he try to see that this is minimised in future? Perhaps some of these happy events could take place on Sundays when people would enjoy them and not have their xenophobic tendencies encouraged
§ Mr. DeedesI will consider what the hon. Lady says, but I hope that she will bear in mind that this was the occasion of a welcome to a sovereign of a friendly state.
§ Mr. Anthony GreenwoodIs the Joint Under-Secretary aware that, while it is appreciated that the presence of the head of a foreign State does create special circumstances, there is a good deal of anxiety on the part of the public at the extent to which the police are taken off their ordinary duties every time our own Queen visits a theatre or one of our main line railway stations? As this sort of 1571 thing is not necessary in countries like Sweden and Holland, could the Home Office review the present system and see whether occasions of this kind could not be arranged without making a strain on police power, as is the position at present?
§ Mr. DeedesYes, certainly, but the main answer to the hon. Member is that these occasions are very infrequent.
§ Following is the list of streets closed:
- Abbey Orchard Street (immediately south of Victoria Street).
- Allington Street.
- Artillery Row (north of Howick Place).
- Ashley Place (immediately south of Victoria Street).
- Bessborough Gardens (southern arms).
- Birdcage Walk.
- Broad Sanctuary.
- Broadway (south of Caxton Street).
- Buckingham Gate (south of Spencer Street).
- Buckingham Gate (between Buckingham Palace Road and Birdcage Walk).
- Buckingham Palace Road (north of Victoria Station Yard Entrance).
- Carlisle Place (north of Ashley Place).
- Constitution Hill.
- Dean Farrar Street (south of Dacre Street).
- Downing Street.
- Ebury Street (north of Grosvenor Gardens).
- Eccleston Bridge.
- Francis Street (north of Howick Place).
- Great George Street.
- Great Scotland Yard.
- Great Smith Street (north of Abbey Orchard Street).
- Horse Guards Approach Road.
- Horse Guards Avenue (west of Whitehall Court).
- Hudson's Place.
- King Charles Street.
- Little George Street.
- Little Sanctuary.
- Lower Grosvenor Place.
- Marlborough Road.
- Old Queen Street.
- Palace Street (south of Castle Street).
- Parliament Square (north, west and south sides).
- Parliament Street.
- Ponsonby Terrace.
- Princes Row.
- Queen's Garden.
- Spencer Street.
- Spring Gardens.
- Spur Road.
- Storey's Gate.
- Strutton Ground (north of Old Pye Street).
- Terminus Place.
- The Mall.
- Tothill Street (east of Dean Farrar Street).
- Vauxhall Bridge Road (north of Gillingham Street).
- Victoria Street.
- Warwick Row.
- Whitehall.
- Whitehall Place (west of Whitehall Court).
- Wilton Road (north of Gillingham Street).