§ 48. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Transport whether he expects to be able to announce his next five-year highway development plan before the Parliamentary Summer Recess.
§ Mr. MarplesI would refer to the national plan for roads announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence on 30th July, 1959. As to the size of the road programme, I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt) on 26th April.
§ Mr. JannerIn view of the serious conditions on our roads, has the Minister nothing further to add about his intentions for dealing with this terrible situation in respect of accidents of which this is one of the causes, if not the whole cause? Does he not realise that his plans will be subject to careful inquiry by those concerned with deaths and accidents on the road? So that he may be assisted in dealing with the problem, will he give us a further statement on this later?
§ Mr. MarplesI am bound to point out that this year we are spending £13 million more on roads than last year. The hon. Gentleman wants increased expenditure, but I notice that four weeks ago he voted against increased taxation, which is necessary for increased expenditure.
§ Mr. MellishWe can cut out all this partisanship. The Minister himself said that the real answer to the problem was a new approach to spending money on roads and the building of roads. This needs a great deal of imagination on the part of himself and the Ministry. Have we not the right to expect from him in the very near future some idea of the plans that he has for dealing with this terrible problem?
§ Mr. MarplesMy predecessor announced a very comprehensive road plan for about 8ve years. We are now engaged in completing that. We are spending more now than ever before in the history of this country.
§ Mr. HoltWill the Minister agree that the programme means spending between £60 million and £70 million a year for the next few years? Will he agree that when he went to the Ministry he went with the idea of spending a great deal more money? Can he confirm whether he has asked the Cabinet for more money, and is it true that he has been refused?
§ Mr. MarplesEven if I could confirm it, I would not.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerIn view of the figures the Minister has quoted of his expenditure, will he recall that the cost of congestion on the roads is now estimated at £500 million a year, and that the cost of road accidents is at least another £200 million to the nation? Will he calculate the capital sum on which £700 million is the annual interest?
§ Mr. MarplesMany people make these calculations, and I notice that there is an astonishing variation between the highest and the lowest cost. I do not accept them at their face value.
§ Mr. JannerIn view of the unsatisfactory Answer, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.