HC Deb 11 November 1968 vol 773 cc6-7
23. Mr. Alison

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the damage and inconvenience caused to the residents and businesses of Selby, and to a wider public, by the severing of the trunk road communications through the town and between the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire for three weeks this summer; and if he will take steps to avoid such an interruption of communications in the future.

Mr. Carmichael

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his speech in the Adjournment debate on 6th November.—[Vol. 772, c. 1035–46.]

Mr. Alison

Has the Parliamentary Secretary refreshed his memory of the fact that the A63 trunk road between the West Riding industrial complex and the Port of Hull was closed to traffic for three weeks, and that no major trunk road has been closed as long as this since the Romans left Britain? Will he do something about getting a bypass and a new bridge for Selby?

Mr. Carmichael

We discussed this last week at great length during an Adjournment debate, and the hon. Member knows that we greatly regretted the three weeks' closure of the Selby bridge. It is, however, a private bridge, as he knows, and he also knows that it has been considered whether the new trunk road and the new crossing will be put into the preparation pool.

Mr. George Jeger

Is my hon. Friend aware that accidents cause frequent interruptions of traffic at Selby Bridge, and that it would be feasible to have a Bailey bridge available for emergency operations for use when accidents occur?

Mr. Carmichael

The suggestion of the Bailey bridge has been put by my hon. Friend and by the hon. Gentleman. The problem here is that it is an urban area where very valuable property is involved, and it would need to be a high-level bridge. It is technically quite a difficult proposition and obviously the new road network with a bypass and a new road bridge would be the proper solution.

Mr. Peter Walker

In view of the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary has answered both my hon. Friend's Questions by reference to the preparation pool, will he confirm that there is no guarantee that any road in the preparation pool will ever be constructed, and that it really means that it is not in the programme?

Mr. Carmichael

"Never" is putting it too far ahead. The purpose of the preparation pool is that schemes that are considered important are priced up to a point and then compared with other schemes already in the pool, so that the proper priorities between them can be maintained.

Mr. James Johnson

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the crossing of the Ouse at Selby leading to the west, Leeds and beyond is vital in order to ensure the delivery of cargoes to Hull Docks? Is he now considering the scheme of building a low-level bridge, which would cost not very much more than half a million pounds, over the Ouse north of Selby to connect with the A1 at Ledsham?

Mr. Carmichael

This was considered in the question of the Humberside network with which my hon. Friend is familiar. Studies on this are still progressing, and I think the local authorities and my hon. Friend and other hon. Members met the previous Minister. It was decided that the real solution, after consideration, despite the attraction of the northern scheme, is the Humberside network.