§ 47. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, having regard to paragraph 103 of the Report on Transport Services in the Highlands and Islands, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Highland road system will be able to 451 catch up with the development of road transport and to fill the vacuum left by contraction of rail transport.
§ Mr. NobleTo meet the growing needs of road transport, the Government are providing more than £2½ million a year for the construction or improvement of Highland roads. I am considering what special needs may arise from rail closures and how we might meet them.
§ Mr. RankinDoes the Secretary of State realise that the sum of money which he mentioned is described in the Report as being utterly inadequate for the creation of the necessary roads in the north of Scotland? Does not he know that, if the Beeching Report is implemented, more than double that sum will be required? Will he consider the matter of road development in the light not only of present needs but of potential demand?
§ Mr. NobleThe hon. Gentleman is quite right in saying that, if the Beeching Report is agreed and if the closures are carried out, as he suggests, the amount of money available for the roads is certainly not enough to provide adequate transport services in some areas. It has been made very clear by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and by myself that adequate roads are a precondition of closing some of these lines.
§ Mr. RossWill the Secretary of State make clear that the last word in respect of rail closures in Scotland, be it North or South, rests not with him but with the Minister of Transport?
§ Mr. NobleTechnically, it rests with him, but, as he has said, he will consult me before any closures are made. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the decision in this and the other matters will reflect the unity of the Cabinet, not the division.