§ 7. Sir C. Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is expected that the main new trunk and motorway system planned for central Scotland will be completed.
§ Mr. NobleSubject to the provision by Parliament of the necessary funds, I expect the trunk road and motorway proposals outlined in the Central Scotland White Paper to be substantially completed within 10 years.
§ Sir C. Thornton-KemsleyCan my right hon. Friend tell the House what the plan amounts to in miles of road?
§ Mr. NobleSeventy-nine miles of motorway and 206 miles of trunk road. Of these, 14 miles of motorway and 116 miles of trunk road, including one or two pre-war sections, are completed or in hand.
§ Mr. SteeleIs this an "Irish" 10 years, because nine years ago I received a letter from the Secretary of State for Scotland indicating that there would be a dual carriageway from Uddingston to the English Border in 10 years' time? The most difficult parts of this road have not yet been completed, and there is only one year to go.
§ Mr. NobleI think that the whole House is aware of the extreme difficulty of forecasting with accuracy what will happen in 10 years' time. The House will have noticed that I said,
Subject to the provision by Parliament of the necessary funds …We do not know which party will be in power in the next Parliament, and we do not know whether the funds will be available.