HC Deb 25 January 1967 vol 739 cc1479-80
40. Mr. Dean

asked the Minister of Transport when she expects the M5 motorway to Edithmead in Somerset to be completed.

Mr. Swingler

By the end of 1971.

Mr. Dean

I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for that Answer, but would he do his utmost to try to speed this up? Does he recognise that as the motorway system progresses towards Bristol the problems of traffic congestion further south are becoming much more serious?

Mr. Swingler

Certainly. As I said to one of my hon. Friends from Bristol, we appreciate the difficulty there will now be with the extension of M5 past Bristol. Every step will be taken to carry it through as quickly as we can.

Mr. Wilkins

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of his colleagues in the South-West are pleased with the belated interest of hon. Members opposite in the problems of road transport in the South-West, seeing that they had 13 years in which they could have done this job? Will my hon. Friend take particular notice of Question No. 86?

Mr. Speaker

Order. There are 99 Questions to the Minister on the Order Paper. The hon. Member's supplementary question must be brief.

Mr. Ridley

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the construction of the extension from Twyning to Gloucester was due to be completed by the end of 1968? Can he now say when that section will be completed, in view of its extreme urgency in Gloucestershire?

Mr. Swingler

We come to a further Question on that point in a minute.