HC Deb 25 January 1967 vol 739 cc1476-7
17. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Minister of Transport when she expects the West Midlands motorway link to be completed; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Swingler

The target completion date for the M1-M6 Motorway link is 1971 and that for the M5-M6 link, 1969.

Mrs. Short

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, may I remind him that there is increasing concern in the West Midlands about the congestion generally? Is he aware that in my constituency it is really quite frightful. Does he realise that I am sorry that I could not persuade my right hon. Friend to come to have a look at our difficulties and would he not agree that there is a case for using more intensive methods to advance completion dates of these motorway links? Will he look into this and see what can be done?

Mr. Swingler

My right hon. Friend is well aware of the problem in the West Midlands, which she recently visited, and we want to see matters going ahead as rapidly as possible. This is why my right hon. Friend is setting up such things as road construction units. I am sure that my hon. Friend will appreciate that this is an enormously expensive and elaborate scheme, costing many millions of £s, and that it will involve the demolition of 400 properties and the construction of 12 miles of elevated road. We will do everything that we can to speed it up.

Sir J. Langford-Holt

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the railway scheme envisages a restriction of railway services and therefore, in order to maintain this area, it is absolutely vital that the road connections are improved rapidly?

Mr. Swingler

My right hon. Friend is considering the future of the railway system precisely in relation to the trunk roads and these two things will be co-ordinated together.