§ 54. Mr. Elector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement on the allocation and progress of work in Scotland relating to the construction, maintenance and management of roads, bridges and ferries in and to the north-east of Scotland as a result of the transfer of responsibility for them to him under the Transfer of Functions (Road, Bridges and Ferries) Order, 1956.
§ The Secretary of State for Scotland(Mr. James Stuart)I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply I gave to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire (Mr. Woodburn) on 27th March.
§ Mr. HughesFor public convenience, will the Secretary of State issue a schedule indicating when the respective works will be begun and finished, so that contracts can be made and business can go ahead?
§ Mr. StuartI can assure the hon. and learned Member that I have no desire to interfere with the placing of contracts. There has been no change, interruption or cancellation in connection with the programme announced by the Minister of Transport in February, 1955. I must tell the hon. and learned Member, however, that I found some difficulty in answering this Question because it asks me about
roads, bridges…to the north-east of Scotland,and to the north-east of Scotland lies the North Sea and Norway.
§ Mr. HughesOn a point of order. It is clear that the Minister has obviously and deliberately misunderstood my Question. When I talk about the north-east of Scotland I mean the north-east of Scotland—not the sea beyond the northeast of Scotland.
§ Mr. SpeakerPerhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman will have better luck with Question No. 55.