§ 40. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, after consultation with the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, he will appoint a working party to include traffic engineers with experience of traffic engineering abroad to review London traffic requirements and recommend major road improvements in accordance with modern traffic engineering technique as practised in the United States of America and on the Continent.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThis suggestion is one of a number to which I am at present giving careful consideration.
§ Mr. DaviesWhile thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him whether he does not realise that there is growing concern at the fact that London appears to be lagging far behind the other capital cities of Europe in carrying out modern engineering works to relieve the increasing traffic congestion? While we have traffic engineers in this country, they do not seem to be used to the full advantage. Has not the right hon. Gentleman just stated that finance is not an obstacle? What is holding up modern construction in this country?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWhat I suggested was that the question of how to finance a road scheme is quite a different matter from the speed at which it is constructed. The traffic engineer has a very important part to play in the second matter, and that is why I said that I am looking into this question.