§ 23. Mr. F. M. Bennettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated comparative cost of making the principal Forestry Commission Dovey Forest road exit to Aber-angell via the hilly Cwmllecoediog Drive and the flat lower disused tramway road, respectively, taking into account the plans of the local authority to make up the latter in any case.
§ Mr. GodberThe estimated cost of the first road is £2,600. Any work which the county council may do on the tramway road would be insufficient to make it fit for forestry traffic. The extra cost of so doing would be at least £1,400 and might involve compulsory purchase of agricultural land. The comparison is not however valid since, if the old tramway road were used, it would still be necessary to improve at least part of the other road and to carry out major works in Aber-angell village.
§ Mr. BennettTo anticipate further suggestions, might I again ask the Minister to appreciate that I have some local knowledge of the matter? Will he realise that if he persists in a scheme which means taking logs to the top of the hill only to bring them down again, he will be emulating a certain famous Duke of York?
§ Mr. GodberMy right hon. Friend has gone into the matter at great length with my hon. Friend. I would remind my hon. Friend that in March this year a special meeting attended by the County Surveyors of Merioneth and Mont-gomerty, the County Clerk of Merioneth and the Chairman of the Merioneth Highways Committee came to the conclusion that the suggestion that my hon. Friend makes is not a practical one.