§ 46. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Transport what consultations he had with the President of the Board of Trade when he cut the British Transport Commission's modernisation programme, with regard to the effect of these cuts on the employment situation in development districts.
§ Mr. MarplesI am awaiting the British Transport Commission's detailed proposals for the expenditure of the £175 million provisionally allocated to the Commission for investment in 1961. When this information is available, I shall be in a position to consider, with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, what the effect might be in development districts.
§ Mr. BoydenIs not this another case of making haphazard and extempore cuts which have all sorts of unexpected effects on the economy? How can the Minister expect my constituents to have much confidence in him when this sort of thing happens without adequate long-term planning?
§ Mr. MarplesIf any of the hon. Member's constituents are adversely affected, no doubt he will let me know, but I do not think that this proposal will adversely affect them.
§ Mr. BennIn view of the general transport crisis which we have in this country at the moment, how can the right hon. Gentleman justify a cut in the net investment in transport, as a result of which £25 million is taken off railway investment and a mere £12 million is added to road investment, 1036 which means that we shall be spending less next year on all our forms of transport investment than we have spent this year, despite the growing congestion?
§ Mr. MarplesThe Select Committee on the Railways criticised some of the financial aspects of the modernisation programme, and steps are being taken to reassess the prospects, because it is not modernisation regardless of expense which is wanted but efficient modernisation.