Dumfries Inner Ring Road

HC Deb 28 June 1967 vol 749 cc505-6

33. Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to authorise the construction of the Dumfries inner ring road.

Dr. Dickson Mabon

Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1966, it is for the Dumfries Town Council to decide when to construct it.

Mr. Monro

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that this is a most disappointing Answer, because it is a main trunk road and the town centre is becoming a bottleneck which deserves high priority from the Government?

Dr. Mabon

As the hon. Gentleman knows from correspondence with me, if we had not changed the system, it would have been a Class 2 road, and would not have had a very high priority. Now the local authorities have freedom to decide if they want to construct these projects out of the Rate Support Grant, and an allowance is made for that. I am glad that Dumfries has accepted our invitation to do a road traffic survey in the town, with a view to trying to investigate the traffic problem, which will allow the town council and ourselves to see whether the priority for this is as it is said to be.