§ 37. Mrs. Braddockasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what reply he has sent to the letter of 6th March, 1959, sent to him by the Town Clerk, Liverpool, with reference to the refusal of the divisional road engineer to agree to pedestrian crossings at the junction of Queen's Drive, Menlove Avenue, Allerton Road, Liverpool, against the unanimous opinion of all responsible departments of the council and the council itself.
§ Mr. NugentWe have replied that the Divisional Road Engineer will review, and report on, the matter when the permanent works for improvement of the junction layout are completed. In his letter to the council of 2nd February he had already expressed his intention of doing so.
§ Mrs. BraddockIs the Minister aware that the only person who disagrees with the requirement of a pedestrian crossing seems to be his divisional road engineer, and that the statement he made was that the permanent alteration would make it completely unnecessary for pedestrian crossings to be put in? In view of the fact that his reply has been sent in those terms, will he please take notice that the local authority will hold him responsible in the meantime for any pedestrian who is injured or killed at this particular spot, due to the fact that there is no place at which they are able to cross the road?
§ Mr. NugentI cannot accept the whole of that responsibility.
§ Mrs. BraddockThe hon. Gentleman will get it.
§ Mr. NugentI take note of the hon. Lady's charge. The fact is that almost every day we are asked to provide pedestrian crossings and if we agreed to them there would soon be so many that nobody would take any notice of them. We have to be most cautious before we agree to new ones. I assure the hon. Lady that we will take the greatest care to listen to the local views.
§ Mr. TilneyOn a point of order. As the district referred to in the hon. Lady's Question is in my constituency, am I precluded from asking a supplementary question?
§ Mr. SpeakerI did not observe the hon. Member rise.