HC Deb 22 January 1963 vol 670 cc18-9
21 and 24. Mrs. Castle

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) what action he is taking following the refusal of the Llandudno local authority to remove the turnstiles from its public conveniences;

(2) what action he intends to take to secure the removal of the turnstile from the public convenience on the south foreshore at Scarborough following the trapping of a six-year-old girl in it on 2nd December.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)

My right hon. Friend is now considering the position of all the authorities who have so far declined to remove their turnstiles.

Mrs. Castle

Is the hon. Member aware that it is time that we stopped treating this matter as a joke? Examples are increasingly coming to my attention of physical danger to elderly persons and to young children, as outlined by the incident at Scarborough. In view of the fact that the Minister promised that if local authorities did not remove turnstiles voluntarily he would adopt compulsory measures, when is he going to report to the House on the compulsory action that he intends to take?

Mr. Corfield

I can assure the hon. Lady that we do not treat this matter as a joke, but I would also point out that even since I replied to her on 13lh November some progress has been made, in that the number of turnstiles removed or to be removed has risen to 458, which is 68 per cent. of the total—a rise of 8 per cent. My right hon. Friend certainly does not withdraw from the undertaking that he gave, and neither do I. At the same time, I am sure the hon. Lady will appreciate that the priority for Parliamentary time in respect of this matter cannot be very high at this date.

Mrs. Castle

Can the Minister reply to the second half of my supplementary question and tell us when he is going to make a statement to the House following the consideration which he has said that he is going to give to the matter?

Mr. Corfield

I cannot commit myself to a date, but I can say that it will be very soon—within a month.