§ 30. Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will consider using his powers, or taking powers, to pay for street lighting on trunk roads from central funds, thus relieving parishes of financial obligations which are beyond their means.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. J. R. Bevins)No, Sir. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, already has powers to pay grants on approved lighting schemes on trunk roads. My hon. Friend will realise that parish councils' lighting powers are permissive and not obligatory.
§ Sir I. FraserYes, Sir, but is not it a fact that a parish council is a small and poor local government unit, that it is really only capable of lighting village streets, and that, when it is required to light on the standard of a main road, it should have much more help from the central Government in the national interest?
§ Mr. BevinsThat may be, but that is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.