HC Deb 28 June 1960 vol 625 cc1125-6
16. Miss Herbison

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work will commence on the by-pass road at Harthill, Lanarkshire.

Mr. N. Macpherson

I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Lady on 1st March last.

Miss Herbison

Surely the Minister is aware that this stretch of the Edinburgh-Glasgow road is much more dangerous than any other part of it. Does he realise that the answer which he gave, that the Baillieston-Newhouse part would be the first to be done, has caused great concern to my constituents? Is he also aware that the part which has been chosen to be done first has been chosen because it will cost less money than the part to which I have referred, where the work is needed so badly?

Mr. Macpherson

I do not accept what the hon. Lady said. The seven-mile stretch from Baillieston to New-house is a particularly dangerous part, because there are four important main junctions on it, whereas the road between Salsburgh and Harthill is an open stretch of road.

Miss Herbison

The Minister, who was ready to give that answer to my supplementary question, ought to have looked at the number of deaths which have been caused there. If he does, he will find that the road from Salsburgh to Harthill is much more dangerous than that on which the work is to be started first.

Mr. Macpherson

I cannot accept that either. The number of deaths and of accidents in general is looked at on the three-year basis to which I have referred. I will go into the figures again and write to the hon. Lady, but I do not think we shall find that the record of this stretch is worse than the record of the stretch which I have mentioned