HC Deb 11 November 1964 vol 701 cc1017-8
18. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport when it is intended to publish the intended line for the M.4 motorway from Maidenhead westwards.

Mr. Tom Fraser

The consulting engineers' report was received in May. A number of points on this very difficult project had to be referred back for further examination. I am anxious to press on with this project and will make a statement as soon as I can.

Mr. Francis Noel-Baker

Will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that before a final decision is taken, the views concerning amenity—

Mr. Speaker

Order. All kinds of difficulty attach to this. The first is that the hon. Member was not called. My attention was concentrated on the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke), who was rising rather slowly to ask a question.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Will the Minister say what is the reason for the further delay? Will he bear in mind, too, that it is 3½ years since the first line of the M.4 was put forward? Surely, in this dynamic technological age, we ought to have been able to advance better than this?

Mr. Fraser

This matter may have been under consideration for about 3 years, but I have been in office only about 3 weeks. It is better that we should take a little time and make the right decision rather than act hastily and take the wrong one.

Mr. F. Noel-Baker

I should like to ask you, Mr. Speaker, and the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke) to accept my apologies for rising rather precipitately on the matter which is of great interest to my constituents. Can my right hon. Friend the Minister give an assurance that the views of groups and individuals interested in the amenity aspects of the proposed route will be heard before a final decision is taken?

Mr. Fraser

Yes, Sir. I have no reason to believe that the views of all interested groups of persons have not in the past been taken into account in any case. I would certainly wish that their views should be heard.