§ 12. Mr. T. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now state when a start will be made on the proposed Larkhall-Uddingston by-pass on trunk road A.74.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonMy right hon. Friend has appointed consulting engineers to review the line of the Larkhall-Hamilton-Uddingston by-pass which was fixed in 1954. He hopes to receive their report within the next three months. At this stage it is not possible to say when the road works will start.
§ Mr. FraserIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this is the most congested part of trunk road A.74 and that it would appear to be the last part of A.74 that is to be constructed? Is he aware that this road runs through industrial Lanarkshire, where we have 6 per cent. unemployment, and that he should proceed without delay with the building of the road and provide much-needed employment for road-makers and workers employed in Lanarkshire in making earth-moving equipment, and for steel workers and the bridge builders who would be employed in large numbers on this highway?
§ Mr. MacphersonI do not think the hon. Member is right in saying that this will be the last section of A.74. In any case, I must tell him that my right hon. Friend does not see his way to authorise this scheme within the current four-year programme—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"]—which takes it to March, 1962, but he hopes to be able to do so shortly after that.