Victoria Line

HC Deb 31 January 1962 vol 652 cc1095-7

43. Mr. Redhead

asked the Minister of Transport whether the recent announcement by the London Transport Executive of a modification in the plans for the proposed Victoria Line now makes it possible for him to authorise the commencement of the work of construction.

44. Mr. J. Harvey

asked the Minister of Transport whether the reduced cost of constructing the Victoria line underground railway resulting from the realignment proposed by the London Transport Executive makes it possible for him to authorise the commencement of this project.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport (Mr. John Hay)

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. Fletcher) on 24th January.

Mr. Redhead

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that that reply will cause profound disappointment to many thousands of frustrated, weary travellers in north-east London? Does he further realise that the conditions which obtained on London's roads last Monday—though, in that instance, due to unfortunate circumstances—are likely to be the normal experience in a few years' time, and does he not think, therefore, that this adds urgency to the need for a start to be made on the construction of this vitally necessary new tube?

Mr. Hay

As I explained last week, this is an extremely expensive project which would make an estimated loss of about £3 million a year, and in the present economic circumstances my right hon. Friend does not feel justified in giving the order for a start to be made.

Mr. Harvey

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that it is nearly fifty years since a new tube railway was built in London? Is it not about time that a little more history was made?

Mr. Mellish

Have not the economic arguments always been present and will not they get worse each year? Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree, since all the experts say that this is an absolute must, that a start should be made?

Mr. Hay

We are in a difficult economic situation at the moment. The British Transport Commission, as the House knows, has a deficit of about £140 million a year and is already engaged in a substantial capital investment programme. My right hon. Friend does not think that this is the appropriate moment at which to embark on this very expensive project.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Since the Ministry of Transport is, quite rightly, considering the cost of this project, will my hon. Friend remind the Minister that it often happens that great projects like this become more expensive because they are delayed owing to rises in costs?

Mr. Hay

Fortunately this project is slightly less expensive now than a few months ago, but not sufficiently less expensive to enable us to embark on it.

Mr. Callaghan

Does the reply the hon. Gentleman gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey (Mr. Mellish) mean that, as long as the British Transport Commission is running a heavy deficit, whatever the needs of the people of London there can be no extension of the public transport facilities?

Mr. Hay

No, Sir. That is a complete distortion of what I said. I pointed to the fact that the Commission has a heavy deficit and a heavy capital investment programme and that these are factors which obviously the Government must have in mind before approving this very expensive project.