§ 31. Mr. A. Robertsasked the Minister of Transport ii he will give his sanction 431 to the application made to him for authorisation of capital expenditure on the amalgamation of the Leeds City and Central stations.
§ Mr. HayWorks costing some £377,000 have already been carried out at Leeds City Station. My right hon. Friend has been asked to authorise further expenditure of £838,342 there, and of this he has approved £273,000 for urgent works. His general approval has also been sought for comprehensive rationalisation proposals for the West Riding area, which would include amalgamation of the City and Central Stations. My right hon. Friend hopes shortly to be able to reach conclusions on the rationalisation proposals, and on the capital scheme before him.
§ Mr. RobertsWill the hon. Gentleman expedite this work as much as possible? Is he aware that the Central Station is rather antiquated and that the toilet facilities—this is no reflection on the staff—are disgusting? Will he carry on with the work as quickly as possible?
§ Mr. HayWe have been looking very carefully at this proposal of the British Railways Board and the North-Eastern Region. We have just received additional information for which we have been waiting, and I hope that it will be possible for my right hon. Friend to announce a decision fairly soon.