HC Deb 08 March 1967 vol 742 cc1510-1
34 and 35. Mr. Atkinson

asked the Minister of Transport (1) when the Victoria Line will be completed; and what is her latest estimate of the balance of social costs and benefits from the construction of this line;

(2) to what extent she is applying the technique of cost/benefit study to current proposals for the extension of the London underground.

Mr. Swingler

London Transport expect to open the Victoria Line in stages between Autumn 1968 and Spring 1969. Cost/benefit studies are now normally made of proposals for major extensions of the underground system. There has been no recent study of the Victoria Line, but I see no reason to doubt the original estimate that the benefits would far outweigh the costs.

Mr. Atkinson

Would my hon. Friend accept that these benefits would be increased considerably if the Minister were able to reconsider her decision not to build multi-storey car parks at the underground stations outside London? If it is possible to build those multi-storey car parks, could consideration be given to issuing parking permits at the same time as underground tickets?

Mr. Swingler

I quite appreciate my hon. Friend's point. Certainly we want to encourage the maximum use of the underground system, and one of the ways of doing that is to encourage people to park and ride on the underground, and to park outside the more congested areas. Therefore, we want to see a combination and co-ordination of the use of land to provide parking space at the terminal points of the London underground system.

Mr. Galbraith

Would the Minister not consider announcing some further extensions before the G.L.C. election?

Mr. Swingler

My right hon. Friend has under consideration a number of proposals and will, of course, announce the results of her studies as rapidly as she can.

Mrs. Joyce Butler

Can my hon. Friend yet say when the stations in the Tottenham section of the line are likely to be opened? Is there a date for this?

Mr. Swingler

I said that it would be opened in stages; the stages will begin from Autumn 1968 with the north-eastern end of the line.

Forward to