HC Deb 31 July 1963 vol 682 cc422-3
21. Mr. Worsley

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will introduce legislation during the coming Session to enable him to pay the full cost of lighting on trunk roads.

Mr. Marples

I am still considering the representations from lighting authorities that my contribution to the cost of lighting trunk roads should be increased and that I should contribute also to the cost of lighting classified roads. These claims have to be considered against other claims on the funds available for road maintenance and improvement, and I am not yet in a position to state my conclusions.

Mr. Worsley

Will my right hon. Friend look very carefully into this matter? Is he aware that on trunk roads there is an extraordinary variety of lighting at present?—witness a stretch of road in my constituency, just west of Keighley. Will he ask himself whether there is any difference, in logic, between the lighting above a trunk road and the surface of the road underneath?

Mr. Marples

I am prepared to consider this, but with regard to the stretch of road to which my hon. Friend refers, he wrote on 1st March, 1962, about inadequate lighting, and in reply we said that the Ministry would consider paying 50 per cent. for the provision of such lighting if the lighting authority—the Skipton Rural District Council—put forward a proposal. We have not heard any more since then.

Mr. Mellish

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he should take more interest in this matter, in the sense that many of these trunk roads have no lighting? I can show him a major trunk road not far from London, where for seven miles there is no lighting, because the county councils cannot agree who should pay for it. Is it not time that the Ministry did something about it?

Mr. Marples

I am still considering representations from lighting authorities that my Department's contribution should be increased, but it is easy for lighting authorities to say, "We will do this if somebody else pays."

Mr. Worsley

Will my right hon. Friend consider this question again in respect of the road that I have mentioned? Is he aware that the parish council—not a very large parish council—has to pay for lighting this stretch, and it is out of proportion to expect it to pay a large sum of money for a piece of road which is of no benefit to the occupants of the parish?

Mr. Marples

I said in my original Answer that I was considering the matter. I also said, in reply to my hon. Friend's supplementary question—and I have great sympathy with him—that if the Skipton Rural District Council puts forward a proposal we would consider it.