HC Deb 08 May 1963 vol 677 cc417-8
33. Mr. Wainwright

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to the recommendation of the County Surveyors' Society, a copy of which has been sent to him, that the Government should plan to build, in addition to the 1,000 miles of motorway by the 1970s, a further 1,700 miles of first-class highways; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hay

We are awaiting the views of the County Councils' Association on the Society's report. We should then be willing to discuss it with them both in the light of our own studies of future highway needs.

Mr. Wainwright

Does not the hon. Gentleman realise that the opinion of experts is that road congestion in this country costs at least £300 million a year? How does he expect the country to put into effect the Beeching proposals if the congestion we have on the roads today is allowed to continue?

Mr. Hay

The Government are spending about £200 million a year on road improvements, which, as I said earlier, contrasts with what was spent by the Labour Government. I think that we have nothing to be ashamed of in our road programmes. The County Surveyors' Society proposed in its memorandum a very substantial increase in the road programme to the extent, I understand, of about £1,000 million, but without any indication of how the money was to be found.

Mr. Wainwright

Does not the hon. Gentleman realise that the sum of money recommended by the society must be found if road congestion is to be reduced? Further, is not he aware that these proposals were recommended before the Beeching proposals came out? Is not much more required now?

Mr. Hay

The Government are fully aware of those views, but we have to measure what we should like to do and what we really need to do against what we can afford to do. I believe that we are doing pretty well at the moment, although no Minister of Transport is ever satisfied with the size of the road programme.

Mr. R. W. Elliott

Does my hon. Friend agree that the adoption of the Beeching proposals will mean that many C licence holders will find the railways once again reliable and will remove their C licence vehicles from the roads, thereby making less necessary a greater extension of the road system?

Mr. Hay

I think that there is something in what my hon. Friend says.