§ 11. Mr. Dribergasked the Minister of Transport if, in order to enable work on the Park Lane improvement scheme to proceed at night, as well as in the daytime, without undue disturbance to patients in St. George's Hospital, he will consider offering to equip the hospital, at the expense of his Department, with double windows or other sound-excluding devices.
§ Mr. HayThe London County Council has already investigated this proposal. Its conclusion, with which the hospital authorities agree, is that there would be no assurance that noise would be excludede sufficiently to prevent disturbing the patients.
The hon. Member may, however, be glad to know that the surface works will be substantially completed some months before the underpass. This means that traffic should then circulate at least as well as it does now.
§ Mr. DribergDoes that Answer mean that the total scheme will take rather less than the twenty-eight months envisaged?
§ Mr. HayNo, it does not mean that the total scheme will take less than the twenty-eight months. The surface works will be completed some months before the underpass; the underpass will be the last thing to be completed at the end of the twenty-eight months.