HC Deb 04 December 1963 vol 685 cc1123-5
19. Mr. P. Browne

asked the Minister of Transport if he will readjust his road-building programme in order to give a higher priority to the West Country and to Devon in particular.

Mr. Marples

Between I960 and 1968 the West Country's share of the trunk and classified road major improvement programmes will total some £40 million. I would like to increase it further, but this could be done only at the expense of more urgent needs elsewhere.

Mr. Browne

Is my right hon. Friend aware that for four years now I have been asking when more" money would be spent on the West Country? Is he aware that of his last hand-out of £45 million only £500,000 was allocated to Devon? Is he aware that the county surveyor has said that we should need £136 million in Devon if we are to get our roads into some sort of order, and does not he think that we might have a higher priority now, and that he might look to the South-West instead of going on talking about the industrial roads in the Midlands?

Mr. Marples

I think it right that the bulk of the spending should be concentrated where the heaviest traffic is carried every day. There is no escape from that. I must also point out to my hon. Friend that there are other hon. Members representing constituencies in different parts of the country who would have other views about what is required. He must remember that a high priority for expenditure in one place means that there is a lower priority in another place. That is the difficulty.

Mr. Wilkins

Is the Minister aware that some of us have been asking for these road improvements for fourteen years and not four? Is he aware that there is currently a debate taking place in the House about the growth and development of other areas of the country and that on Saturday the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade said that there would be a considerable waiting period before there was any hope of the South-West being included in a scheme? Is the Minister aware that tourism is the greatest single industry in the South-West and that thousands of people depend upon it for their livelihood? Is he aware that many hundreds of thousands of people are refusing to visit Cornwall and Devon because of the chaotic state of the traffic in those areas?

Mr. Marples

I am aware of some of the things which the hon. Gentleman mentioned in his supplementary question, but I do not agree with all that he said.

Mr. Browne

May I add a word to what has been said about the tourist trade by the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Mr. Wilkins)? Would my right hon. Friend agree that he is wrong in saying that many people in other parts of the country would not like to see more money spent in the South-West? Does not he appreciate that many of the constituents of hon. Members visit the South-West for their holidays, and we want them to continue to come?

Mr. Marples

If they are already coming to the South-West the facilities must be reasonably adequate.

Mr. Wilkins

They are chaotic.