§ 54. Mr. R. Harrisasked the Minister of Transport when work will be started on the new South Wales Radial Road in so far as the borough of Heston and Isleworth will be affected; and when he intends to make money available to enable the local authority to provide houses for the owners, occupiers and tenants of houses in Winchester Avenue, Heston, which will have to be pulled down to make way for the new road.
§ Mr. HayConstruction of this section of the South Wales Motorway will be phased so as to ensure its completion simultaneously with that of the Great West Road viaduct. Work should start on the viaduct next spring, and on the remainder of the road about the end of 1961. I regret that I cannot yet give a precise date.
My hon. Friend has already been told in a letter that negotiations about rehousing have now been started.
§ Mr. HarrisDoes my hon. Friend, or his right hon. Friend, regard himself as having any responsibility for ensuring that the alternative houses to which the present owners and occupiers in Winchester Avenue will have to move will be of approximately the same value as those in which they are now living, in order that they may not be put to very great extra expense?
§ Mr. HayIt is a difficult problem—and a little difficult to deal with by way of Question and Answer in the House. My right hon. Friend does not possess statutory powers to rehouse people affected by road schemes. In fact, we usually manage to arrive at some accommodation with the local authorities, or by some other means but, without proper notice, I should not like to give a firm 1296 answer to the point about the houses in Winchester Avenue. Perhaps my hon. Friend will have a word with me about it.